Child's Play
by alitablake
Summary: Ren and Kyoko's love is so obvious a child, like Maria, can see it.  After nursing a broken heart, Maria decides to support them by trying to get them together in her own special way. Fluff and Lemon.
1. Blinded

**A/N: I do Not own Skip Beat.**

**Hi readers and fellow FF authors. I was inspired once again. I hope you enjoy the story.  
**

Maria was completely bored. Her tutoring was done for the day and everyone around her was entirely too busy to do anything with her. Most of what they were doing seemed boring anyway. She wondered the halls of LME looking for anything even slightly interesting to pass the time. As she turned the corner on the 14th floor, a tall dark figure was standing casually against the wall talking on a cell phone.

Her eyes widened and glittered as she ran up to the man. She noticed that Ren was talking on the phone, so she approached without saying a word and jumped and waved enthusiastically in front of him, hoping to be noticed. He was smiling on the phone, a smile she had never quite seen before. When he recognized her, it changed to the normal one that she knew.

"Maria-chan is here," he spoke on to the phone and crouched down. "One moment." He smiled at her, and she returned the smile in full force. "Hi, Maria-chan. How are you?"

"I can wait till you're done on the phone, Ren-sama," she told him. He was a busy man, even she knew that.

"It's Mogami-san. I'm trying to convince her to let me buy her lunch. Do you think you can help me?" He tilted the phone to her and gave her a pleading face.

She nodded and took the phone. "Onee-sama," she yelled into the phone. As she spoke, Ren picked her up in his arms and started walking towards the elevator.

"Ah, Maria, how are you?" Kyoko sounded tired.

"I'm great. Won't you come eat lunch with Ren-sama and me?" she asked eagerly over the phone.

"Oh, you're coming too?"

Maria bit her lip and pulled the phone away from her face. "Can I come too, Ren-sama, please?"

Ren laughed softly. "Of course you can."

She beamed at him and spoke back into the phone, "Yup! Please come too, Onee-sama, please? It will be a lot of fun!"

"I'll go. Are we eating here?" Kyoko asked as she started to pack her things back up.

"I don't know." She pulled the phone away and looked at Ren. "Where are we eating?" Maria asked Ren.

"She said yes?" he asked and Maria nodded with a big, proud smile.

"I don't care where we eat. Mogami-san or you can pick where we eat." He always let her decide. It was easier to make sure she enjoyed where ever he took her. Granted, he was sure that she would be happy with anything, as he was.

"He said to let you or me choose. Can I pick? I know a good place to go to!" Maria asked excitedly. She hasn't seen or spent any real time with Kyoko or Ren in such a long time. This was going to be so fun!

After a few moments more of chatting, Maria said goodbye and hung up the phone. She held it out for Ren and he pocketed it.

"So then everything has been decided?" Ren asked as they headed down to the ground floor.

"Yes, and she's letting me pick the restaurant."

"Okay, where do you want to go?"

She told him and it came to no surprise to him. Maria had eaten in the classiest restaurants all her life. She wouldn't know what a family or children's restaurant was like.

"Well then, Mogami-san is in for a real treat." He smiled to himself. He was actually thankful that Maria was coming now. He would never have been able to take her there on his tab otherwise.

The elevator dinged and they stepped out. As soon as he turned the corner, they saw her. He felt Maria pull away and he set her down while he was trying to keep his face straight. Kyoko wore a lilac jersey dress with a very busy pattern of black and white designs. She looked utterly sweet in it and still had his palms sweating.

"Onee-sama!" Maria ran towards her "sister" and Kyoko bent low with a charming smile and her arms opened for a hug. Ren watched the two embrace and then Kyoko smiled as Maria chatted a mile a minute about something. He walked up slowly, not really wanting to stop watching her as she held the little girl's hands.

His heart throbbed at the thought of her with his child. She would teach their daughter how to cook and read her fairytales every night. He could hear her voice lecture their son to hurry up and get cleaned up for dinner then spoil him with a before dinner treat. Then she would look up from the child they created and into his face making his heart stop with her beautiful smile just like she did now.

"Hello, Tsuruga-san." She bowed in greeting.

Maria was holding onto Kyoko's hand with a huge smile on own face. She watched Ren's face change as he looked at her friend. He smiled that smile she'd seen before on the phone.

"Hello, Mogami-san. Are you ready to eat?" He asked with his voice soft and almost teasing.

Kyoko blushed slightly and nodded. It took a little bit to get there but once there, Ren was pleased at her reaction. They went to Seryna, a hot pot restaurant but one with very luxurious private rooms, a wide selection of food and the highest of quality cuts of meat. The outside looked simple but the moment they stepped in, there was a very dark red wood desk in front of a wall that didn't let you see into the restaurant.

The host was dressed in a crisp white long sleeve shirt and a black vest. She smiled brightly at them.

"Good afternoon, do you have reser…ah Takarada-ojou-sama. How are you today?" Both Ren and Kyoko were a little shocked that the hostess recognized little Maria.

"I'm happy because I'm going to have lunch with Ren-sama and Onee-sama. Can we get one of the big rooms?" She asked brightly sitting in Ren's arms.

"Of course, please come this way."

Kyoko felt woefully underdressed as they were escorted through the restaurant. There were several tables with a small electric coil in the middle of the table that made up the main part of the restaurant. Yet they weren't going to one of those. Nope, they went past all of the open area tables and into a back room with a thick maroon curtain covering the doorway.

The host held the curtain open for them and Kyoko entered a western decorated room with a dark brown table that sat six in a U-shaped cushioned bench. It was beautiful with paintings of old Japan and soft lighting. The host took away three of the place settings and bowed as they sat. Maria sat between the two of them, right in the center of the bench. She sat on her legs the way Kyoko would on the floor for extra height.

"Your server will be here in a moment. Please enjoy your meal," the professional hostess stated and left.

Kyoko fidgeted around and lightly straightened out her dress. Ren smiled at her discomfort. "They don't care how you are dressed, Mogami-san."

Maria looked over to Kyoko worried. "You don't like your dress, Onee-sama?"

Kyoko blushed and looked at Maria. "It's not that. I like this dress very much. I simply don't think it is proper for this restaurant. I didn't think you would pick someplace like this to go eat."

Maria looked at her confused. "Grandfather dresses anyway he wants and they always let us in. You look very pretty, right, Ren-sama?" She turned to Ren and noticed that he was staring at Kyoko.

"You look perfect," he said softly and Maria turned to find Kyoko's face a dark red. Before anyone else could speak again, their server came in for their order.

Maria actually ordered for them all asking for her "usual."

"Maria-chan, what if Mogami-san wants something different? This is her first time here," Ren gently chided her forwardness.

Maria was taken back and then turned to Kyoko. "It's got a lot of food, a little bit of everything, like beef and crab and lots of carrots. I like carrots but I don't like the green things. Grandfather eats all the green stuff and the pot is really big…" Maria held her arms out wide, "…like this big. Grandfather, Sen-sama and I can eat the whole thing."

"Sen-sama?" Kyoko asked having never heard of that name before.

"Grandfather's gentealman." It took a moment for Kyoko to figure out that she meant "gentlemen" or servant.

_Oh! Sebastian._ She thought and nodded her undertsanding and then turned to Ren. "I'm fine with whatever Maria orders. I'm sure it will be delicious." The server took their drink orders and left to put in their request.

Maria spoke about the things that were happening in her life to Kyoko as they waited. Their drinks came. Both Kyoko and Ren simply had water while Maria got a Shirley Temple.

"What is that? It looks like a cocktail." Kyoko looked at the reddish fizzy drink.

"It's soda and cherry syrup. Do you want to try it? Ren-sama gave it to me a long time ago." She held out the glass with both her hands. Kyoko looked up at Ren and he nodded.

"It was something I had as a kid and I thought she would like it," Ren tried to answer the question on her face, which he was pleased to see that he was right.

Kyoko took the glass and sipped it. She pressed her lips together at the taste. It was really sweet so she could understand why a child would enjoy it. It was also a rather pretty drink. Still the soda and sweetness was too much for her.

"You don't like it?" Maria asked.

"It's a little too sweet for me but you enjoy it right?" Kyoko smiled and Maria nodded taking the straw between her lips to drink more of the sweet soda.

"I heard that you two are acting together again. When is it going to show on TV?" Maria looked to both of them and they both looked confused.

"Maria-chan, we've only done Dark Moon together. The lasts show will be on in about a month," Ren answered and Maria shook her head.

"No, Grandfather was talking about Onee-sama being your sister. She is a good sister, huh, Ren-sama?" Both Ren and Kyoko looked down that little girl stunned. That was suppose to be a secret, yet the own president doesn't even watch his own mouth around his granddaughter.

"Ah… Maria, the role that I'm playing with Tsuruga-san is supposed to be a secret. It's only a LoveMe assignment. It's not a real show," Kyoko whispered quietly to her.

"Ehhh… really?" Maria whined, "It sounds like so much fun."

"Maria-chan, you have to promise not to tell anyone about Mogami-san acting as my sister, okay? It's to help me with my other role and they don't want the people to know it's me and her." Ren smiled charmingly at her and Maria's eyes widened with a sparkle as she nodded dreamingly.

Their food finally came. The server had to go back three times before all the food was there. First was a tray full of different cuts of meat; seafood, beef, pork and chicken were all cut up into small portions. The next was different types of vegetables: broccoli, squash, eggplant, diakon, mushrooms, leeks and there were a larger portion of carrots. It must have been a special order so Maria would eat something besides noodles and meat. Finally, there was large round tray of soba noodles they could mix into the pot.

Maria quickly started dumping things into the pot while Ren and Kyoko sat back and smiled watching her. After she was done more than half of the meat was inside the pot, a quarter of the noodles and only the carrots made it in.

"Maria, you should eat the other stuff too. Have you tried any of the other items on the tray?" Kyoko asked as she started to put in a little bit of everything into the pot.

Maria shook her head. "It's green! You shouldn't eat green food. It's not right." Kyoko sighed and looked at Ren for help. He shook his head, no.

"How do you know that green isn't good if you never had it before?"

"I have! I had this green ice cream that tasted like my toothpaste. Even with the bits of chocolate, it was gross." She made a sour face that Kyoko thought was adorable.

"Oh, well not everything green tastes like your toothpaste. You should be open to trying new things. Tsuruga-san likes trying new things, right?" She looked up at him pleadingly. Maria looked up at him.

"I do," Ren confirmed. "Mogami-san has introduced me to a lot of new dishes that she has made for me."

"You mean at the grateful party?" She cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Uh…" Kyoko spoke and Maria turned towards her. She was blushing and couldn't look at them. "I sometimes cook for him to make sure he eats." Maria watched Kyoko shift uncomfortably in her seat and didn't understand why she was so embarrassed. She cooked for over a hundred people at the party. Why would cooking for Ren be bad?

"And it's all very delicious. I appreciate it very much," Ren chimed in. Maria looked up at Ren and was amazed. Never in her life had she seen him so relaxed, so… happy. He was looking past her to Kyoko so she turned her attention to her "sister." Kyoko was a deep dark red and she hesitantly was taking a drink of her water as a distraction.

"Why do you call each other by your last names still?" Maria asked curious and she felt the room change slightly. Kyoko coughed slightly.

"It's out of respect," Kyoko replied with a dignifed pose. "You shouldn't call your senpai something else unless they give you permission to do so." Maria was about to ask but then Ren spoke.

"I've never asked you to call me Ren?" He looked at her curiously.

"No and I understand. I'm your kohai and until I'm worthy of acting beside you, I should be polite and proper. It was very rude of me to call out to you like that. But then I was either acting or angry at you at the time," she explained.

"You've been mad at him before?" Maria could never be mad at Ren. She didn't think there was a person alive that could be angry at him except maybe grandfather.

"Oh yes, he was mean to me a lot when we first met and still teases me today." She looked at him with a glare and Maria turned to find him chuckling softly.

"You're so easy to tease. I can't help it sometimes." He smiled that smile again.

"Bully!" She pushed his shoulder slightly and he smiled humorously. She picked up her chopsticks and checked the food. "We should eat before it over cooks."

The three of them started to pull out the food on their respective plates and put in more to cook while they ate. Maria still focus on the one item she still enjoyed and noticed that Ren only picked out a few of the ones he liked, compared to Kyoko who had more of the vegetables and noodles than meat.

"Ugh, you are both the same. You shouldn't focus on only the meat and Tsu…"

"Ren," he interrupted.

"Eh?" Both of them looked up at him.

"Please, call me Ren. I have given you a formal invitation to please call me by my first name. Now you have no excuses." Maria looked between both of them. He was smirking as he prepared his first bite and Kyoko was starting to turn red again.

"I can't call you _that_ and you call me Mogami-san. It wouldn't be right," she countered.

"Then may I call you Kyoko?" He looked at her and his smile widened. Her flush was rushing back to her ears and she tried to hide her face behind her hand.

"Y…y…. yes, you could have always called me w…w… what ever you like," she stuttered in embarressment.

Maria felt like she wasn't in the room. Which for any normal 8-year-old child would be inconceivable but she was confused yet curious about the expressions between the two next to her. She watched Kyoko blush at the simplest comments that Ren made. She even blushed when he complimented her dress. She didn't blush when Maria had said she was pretty.

Kyoko also never minded Maria calling her sister either, so why would she get flustered with Ren called her Kyoko? It was even her stage name. Everyone called her Kyoko-san or chan. What was one more person?

Kyoko started asking questions to Ren about his day and what he has been doing, which he answered with an exuberance Maria hadn't seen before.

"Maria, aren't you going to eat?" Kyoko's voice drew her attention but not out of her thoughts.

"Yes. I was just… waiting for it to cool down." She picked up a piece of shrimp and ate it. They ate with mild chatter, most of which was from Ren and Kyoko. Maria really enjoyed being with each of them but thoughts plagued her mind. After her mother's funeral, she learned to be quiet and listen to what adults said. They often hid their true feelings behind their words.

Then being in LME, she was often ignored or simply not seen because she was a child, so the adults will talk about things and she learned to listen. That was how she found out about Kyoko playing Ren's sister. It was also how she found out how many women would mistreat Ren because he was a star.

Kyoko has always had the highest of respect or fear for Ren. Maria has never heard her talking about him like the other women did. Ren always seemed to avoid Kyoko as the topic of conversation whenever he was with Yukihito-sama, yet he always enjoyed talking about her. She always thought that perhaps Yukihito-sama liked her big sister.

Before she knew it, most of the food was gone and the server came in asking if they wanted dessert.

"I don't think I could eat anymore. If I can't, I doubt you could." Kyoko smiled at Ren and he laughed as he nodded in agreement. Maria watched the humor shared in their eyes and then Kyoko looked at her.

"Maria? Do you want any dessert?" she asked and Maria shook her head. Normally she saved room for it but in her absent minded thinking she'd eaten her fill from the meal. Ren asked for the check and Kyoko continued to talk to her.

"This was very good. Thank you Maria for this." Her hand played with her gold curls and Maria shook her head.

"Ren-sama is the one that wanted to eat," she corrected her and Kyoko looked at Ren, then flushed.

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Tsu…Ren-san," Kyoko said in a soft sincere voice and bowed down slightly. Maria turned to Ren and had her breath stolen away.

By the time Maria's mind started to function, she was already back in LME holding Kyoko's hand with Ren waving goodbye.

Maria started to look around in disbelief and Kyoko smiled down at her. "Welcome back, Maria."

"What…what happened?" she asked, scared.

Kyoko laughed. "You got a full dose of Tsuruga Ren's true smile." She paused for a moment. "It's blinding, isn't it?" Kyoko added with a sigh. Maria was looking up at her and saw Kyoko's face soften in thought and then gave an equally blinding smile herself.


	2. So the Drama

Chapter 2

A few days have passed and Maria forgot all about the lunch with the two of them until a familiar scene on her grandfather's television show caught her eye.

He was currently watching one of his many beloved soap operas with a tissue box in hand. This scene didn't really require it though. There wasn't even a relationship between the two of them yet.

It was the actress that reminded her so much of her sister that caught her attention. She was very nervous around the boy she liked. Anytime he spoke to her she would turn away shyly.

"Why is she so scared?" Maria spoke out loud, and Lory jumped as if just noticing her.

"Maria. When did... never mind." He shook his head and answered her question, "She isn't scared. She is nervous."

Maria watched the girl's eyes constantly flutter up to the boy talking to her, while the boy never removed his eyes from her. "Why is she nervous?"

"She loves him," Lory answered with a wistful sigh. Maria was tempted to roll her eyes and leave but she had more questions.

"He isn't nervous. Does that mean he doesn't love her?" She asked.

"Actually, the fact that he is talking to her means that he loves her too."

Maria looked up at him completely lost. "So then when a boy talks to a girl that means he love her? You talk to lots of girls. Do you love them all?"

Lory gave her a patient smile. "No. I guess I said that wrong. It's how they talk to you, what they talk about and how often. There are lots of different clues that tell us that he loves her. Here let me show you." He picked up Maria and set her in his lap then took the remote and started to rewind and fast forward the scenes.

"Look at how he looks at her. He is smiling and his eyes are always on her because to him, she is the only thing that exists in his world." His voice started out strong but slowly started to get that dreamy sound that he will often go into when talking about love.

"Well she isn't looking at him so then how do you know she loves him?"

"It's actually almost the same reason we know that he loves her. She is taking time away from her day to talk to him. She is smiling and laughing if he says something funny. Also look at her hands."

Maria did as he said and watched her hands for a few moments. They were constantly moving, fingers playing with fingers, playing with her ring or bracelet; sometimes she would play with the buttons of her jacket.

"She won't stop moving," she finally said and Lory nodded.

"And he is hiding his. Sometimes it will be opposite but they are trying to occupy their hands so they don't touch each other but deep down they really want to," he answered eagerly as if he desired the exact same thing they were.

"So why don't they then?" Maria was confused.

"Well, they aren't dating for one. Two, they don't know how they feel for each other yet." She could hear the anticipation in Lory's voices when he said the word, yet.

Maria sat and watched the episode finish. Then she sat and watched the next three. She watched the two characters take one step forward and two steps back.

It was frustrating!

So many times she saw how much they liked each other and yet they were too dumb to see how they felt about each other. Her friends would constantly tease her about him, always bringing him up and telling her things about him.

"Do her friends like him too?" She asked suddenly.

"No. Why do you ask that?" Lory asked shocked out of his trance of the show.

"Well they are always talking about him and they seem to know everything about him while she doesn't. It seems like they like him more than she does."

"They bring him up because they know she loves him. They want her to be with him just as much as she does."

Finally, on the fifth episode she watched with her grandfather, the boy summoned up the courage to ask her out but…

"WAIT! Why didn't she say yes right then!" Maria yelled out and slapped her little hand on Lory's knee in excitement making Lory laugh softly

"She is playing hard to get. She actually wants to say yes but she didn't want to seem too eager to just scream out yes."

"But she wants to! Why doesn't she just say yes?" She huffed.

"She will," he replied calmly. "Watch. He will keep asking her with a smile and eventually she will say yes."

The actress did. The hero of the story asked her why she couldn't come and she stammered with a lame excuse and then he smiled and countered her. Finally, she agreed with a bright smile.

"She should have just said yes right away. That was dumb." Maria crossed her arms angrily.

"But that would make it too easy for him. She did the right thing. It made him try more and makes her more attractive to him."

"More attractive?"

Lory thought about it for a moment before explaining, "He liked her more for it. Did you see how happy he was when she said yes?"

"But he would have been happier if she just said yes right away," Maria countered.

"Hmmm… maybe, but people want what they can't have. It goes the same for people and love too."

Maria blinked at him confused and he laughed.

"Okay, let's see. Why do you think everyone wants to date Ren?" She thought about the things that the women in the building would say about him. They always talk about how good looking he was and that he was so kind.

"Because he is kind and pretty, but they can't have him!" Maria frowned and crossed her arms in absolution.

"Exactly, they can't have him so they want him even more. People always try to get what they can't have." Lory let her think about it. He patted her head and hoped she understood his explanation. He turned the show back on but then was interrupted once again.

"So playing hard to get means that you make that person love you?"

Lory paused the show again and looked at her. "Sometimes. Some people see it as a challenge and want to beat it like a game. Others do fall in love and stay happy together." Again she sat and thought about it and he grew curious.

"Maria, why are you asking all these questions? Is there something on your mind?"

Maria blushed and looked away timidly. "Um, I only wanted to know." She hopped off of her grandfather's lap and bowed down slightly.

"Thank you, grandfather," she said with urgency and then ran out the door. Lory watched her go and then settled back to watch the show unconcerned.

Maria buzzed out of the office, her mind filled with thoughts and images. She had to find out if it was real or a game or what. The only problem was how.


	3. Evidence

Chapter 3

The next day Maria went to Sawara-san, who was busy with mountains of paperwork and a phone ringing non-stop.

"Uncle!" She yelled out, and Sawara jumped out of his seat.

"Ah, Maria-chan, I told you not to do that to me anymore." He started gathering all the items he dropped.

She giggled and helped him while she asked, "Do you know if onee-sama is going to be in today?"

"Onee-sama? Mogami-san?" He asked and Maria nodded.

"I believe she is in school all day today, so no she won't be in. Do you need her for something?"

"Yes, very badly. Does she get out at 12 like me?"

Sawara sighed. "No, she gets out at 3:30. I can give you her number and you can try and call her." Sawara scribbled down her number on a post it and handed it to her. She hopped up and took a hold of Sawara's neck making him bend to the side.

"Thank you, Uncle!" She hugged him and he patted her arms with a small smile.

_12:50pm_

Kyoko packed up the last lesson's books and started to pull out the next. They actually had a quick 10 minute break before the next lesson and everyone was taking a small restroom break, checking their phone or chatting with their neighbor.

She wondered if all her time growing up completely friendless attributed to her lack of friends now. She's been in here for almost 8 months and she still hasn't made a friend within the class. She looked around the room and found Mimori-chan.

Then again, other evil elements could contribute to that little fact too. She sighed. Even now, with Sho out of her life, he was still making her school life miserable. But then she had Moko-san and Amamiya-san now as her friends. Her mind wondered to a handsome face. Could she count Tsu… Ren as one of her friends?

She shook her head, best not to presume anything. She was looking through her purse for her chap stick when she noticed that she had a message. Her face softened and her lips spread into a smile. She flipped it open and her face twisted in confusion. Unknown caller has called 5 times within the last hour and has left 5 new voice mails.

Panic rushed through her. What if something bad happened? Like he got sick again and Yashiro isn't there to help or something fell on top of him and he couldn't get out from underneath or some rapid fan girl has taken him hostage and they were calling in for a ransom.

Never mind the fact that there was no reason that he would call her in any of those situations but horrible thoughts and images flooded her mind as she dialed in her code to hear her messages.

_First message at 12:12 pm. _

_Onee-sama, Uncle gave me your number to call you. Call me back, okay?"_

Relief flooded her and Kyoko let out the breath she was holding, then she blushed. It was Maria. Of course, he wouldn't call her. What reason would he have anyway?

_Second message at 12:18 pm. _

_I forgot to give you the number. Call me back at 03-6387-3562. Kay! Bye!"_

Kyoko replayed the message and wrote down the number. She would have to call back after class was over.

_Third message at 12:29 pm. _

_Onee-sama, you haven't called back yet. We need to talk._

_Forth Message at 12:41 pm_

_ONEE-SAMA! I NEED YOU! _

Kyoko started to feel that panic rush back into her as she heard that message and started to pack her things as she heard the fifth message.

_Where are you! I'm getting scared. Why haven't you called me back yet?_

She had everything stuffed into her bag and in her hands and she quickly made her way up to the desk. She bowed down and apologized profusely for having to leave in a hurry but the teacher simply nodded and handed her today's assignment. It was a very common thing but that didn't make Kyoko feel any better about doing it.

She left half running out the door and quickly dialed the number she wrote. It answered in the first ring.

"Onee-sama?"

"Maria! What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Tell me where you are? I'll be there in a flash." She dumped all of her things in the little basket and was unlocking her bike.

Maria giggled. "I'm fine. I was hoping I could see you today after school."

Kyoko collapsed just as she reached the outer gates. Several people looked at her oddly and took a wide berth walking around the strange girl.

"Maria, don't scare me like that. I would be happy to spend some time with you today but you could have been a little more patient. I took off early because you made me worry."

"I'm sorry onee-sama. I didn't mean to," she sounded genuinely sad but then her voice changed to something more upbeat and normal, "So does this mean that you can come now?"

Kyoko sighed. She did excuse herself for the day and she got her assignments. It would be silly to go back due to a false emergency. She stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Yes, I can but Maria, you have to promise me that you won't do that again unless it's a real emergency."

"Yes, onee-sama, I promise. I'm here at LME!" She yelled into the phone making Kyoko flinch. She nodded to no one, said goodbye and left to LME. It took about 30 minutes to get there but she was greeted by a very excited Maria in the lobby.

"Onee-sama!" She ran to her and Kyoko couldn't help but smile back at her. She crouched down and hugged her.

"Okay, so what did you want to see me about?" Kyoko asked as Maria pulled back with a smile. Maria had been thinking of an excuse to go out and spend time with Kyoko and ask her questions. Finally she found an obvious one.

"Grandfather wants me out of the building, but I need someone with me. I was hoping you would."

Kyoko blinked and asked, "You need a babysitter?"

"I'm not a baby!" Maria huffed and crossed her arms clearly upset.

"Of course you're not. I'm sorry. I can spend the day with you. What time do you need to be back home?"

Maria easily forgave her and smiled. "It doesn't matter as long as I'm with you, grandfather won't care."

Kyoko flashed to an image of President Takarada glaring down at her angrily for making his little granddaughter stay out so late. She shuttered in fear and then smiled weakly at Maria.

"I think I'll have you home by 7. That will still give us 5 whole hours out and about. Does that sound good?" She asked cheerily and stood up.

Maria thought about it for a moment. Was 5 hours enough time? Well if she needed more she was sure she could make something up to stall. She nodded and took her hand.

"Okay, Where do you…" Kyoko started walking out and noticed what she was wearing. Going out in her school uniform was a bad idea during school hours. She might get blamed for skipping.

"I'm going to need to change first, so let's go to my place okay?"

Maria was about to jump up and agree but then remembered why she had to spend time with her. She had to find out how she felt about Ren and if her room was anything like her LoveMe locker it would be completely empty of pictures and very neat.

Yes, Maria snuck in and looked through it. It took all of ten minutes. Most of the time was spent trying to see what was on the top shelf, which ended up being a big fat nothing. Then Maria thought of something fun and excitedly offered, "Let's borrow clothes from here. They have lots of pretty things that anyone can use and we can play dress up!"

Nothing else in the world would have gotten Kyoko to agree quicker than that last line. She had never played dress up before and her spirit and mind when to fantasy land. As soon as they arrived, she was a little shy about going in to play with professional company items, but it seemed that Maria did this often, and that a large portion of President Takarada's costumes were here as well.

Much to Kyoko's delight the first thing they did was dress up as princesses going from English princesses to Asian and Egyptian and even some from ancient Maya culture in South America. They had costumes for everything. Kyoko dressed up as a prince with Maria the princess. They were safari hunters, police men, pirates and then cartoon characters and even comic book heroes.

Did you know that Maria also had people do their hair and light makeup while "playing" dress-up? At first Kyoko politely refused the offer but then Maria convinced her to do little things. First it was light lipstick, then a little eye shadow and then they styled her hair just a little. Finally she had everything done and they changed the accessories to her hair and clothes.

Then Maria wanted something more adult. They found normal clothes that were both in their sizes and dressed alike. Kyoko enjoyed trying on other country's clothes from Switzerland's swiss miss outfit with the little frilly skirt and suspenders to the Spanish pancho and sombrero. They dressed up in very formal kimonos and then in Chinese dresses.

"Wow." Maria stood there stunned as Kyoko came out in the Chinese dress. It was a very dark blue with a silver dragon crawling around her body. It was long to her ankles and it had a tear drop opening high at her chest. There was also a very long slit starting from her hip all the way down to reveal a skimpy pair of silver heels. The stylists slicked her hair down and gave her a small curve that almost touched her right eye. They put in a blue hair pin with small silver flowers falling softly down the right side.

"This is very tight," Kyoko admitted as she walked over to the mirror they were looking at all day, and Maria was speechless.

"You look beautiful," she said it slow, and Kyoko looked down to see her face in awe. She smiled at her.

"Thank you, Maria. I'd give you a hug but I think I might tear the dress if I bend down." She made a funny face which made Maria laugh.

"Are you going to put yours on?" They found another Chinese dress for her to wear, different colors and patterns one more fitting to a child but Maria shook her head. They spent over three hours playing in the costume department and she completely forgot about her master plan.

"No, we should go. Grandfather says I spend too much time in LME," she told her. A line that was completely true though it was one that she would normally dismiss. LME was fun!

"Oh okay. Let me change and we will go." Kyoko turned on her heel when Maria stopped her.

"No. I want you to go like that," the litttle girl stated almost in a command.

Kyoko was taken aback. "Ah, Maria, I can't do much in a dress like this. Don't you want to go play in the park or something?"

"No, why would we do that?" She said it like it was the most atrocious thing in the world. Play outside in the dirt? Why?

"Ah of course," Kyoko almost sighed. "so what did you want to go do? Play a game? Watch a movie?"

"A movie! Yeah!"

Kyoko found out it would be impossible to ride her bike in the dress but Maria already had that problem solved. A car waited for them as soon as they stepped out of the building. Maria was back in her normal frilly dress while Kyoko tried her hardest not to let the slit bother her too much.

Walking in it was fine. It was a snug fit but it was like a second skin. Still she felt like it would rip at the seams if she did any type of labor in it. It was not as versatile as a kimono was.

She was playing with Maria as the car drove off. Maria had told the driver where she wanted to go and he did. Kyoko noticed that they had passed the closest theater that she knew of but perhaps Maria knew of a better one.

"So what do you want to watch? A cartoon or a funny movie?" Kyoko asked.

"ACTION!" She yelled out excitedly.

She was stunned. Action? Maybe there was a kid's adventure movie out that she wanted to see. There was no way she was going to take her into an adult action movie. However once they arrived to Maria's destination, Kyoko was speechless.

There she stood on the set of Tsu…Ren's movie holding on to Maria's hand. The moment she realized that they were at a studio and not a theater she tried futilely to get her to watch an already made movie.

Kyoko needed to talk to Maria but she couldn't make a loud sound while they were filming. She grimaced thinking about the dress. If she bent down her slit was facing the room. Well no one was looking towards them anyway. They were behind all of the crew. She crouched down and could feel the dress hike up. It felt like it was revealing her hip let alone her entire thigh. She tried to cover the slit as it revealed the whole span of her leg but failed. She turned towards the side slightly hoping to hide and whispered softly in Maria's ear.

"Maria, this movie is still in production. They don't like it when visitors come and interrupted the sh…" There was a loud crash extremely close to them and both of the girls froze and searched for the sound.

They found a blushing stage hand that had dropped a lot of trays of something and was quickly trying to pick it up unnoticed.

"What are you doing over there?" The director yelled and everyone was forced to stop. Kyoko stood up since everyone was now looking at her direction and she wanted to hide. Maria giggled and pulled her hand.

"He was looking at you, onee-sama," she said with a teasing smile.

"Shhh, Maria. He probably tripped on the cables," Kyoko snapped a little upset at what has happened. She could feel the heat on her face from embarrassment. No doubt if he was looking at her, he was stunned that someone would dress so inappropriately.

"Kyoko-chan?" A male voice was near and she recognized it as the director that yelled.

She bowed down deeply, making the slit reveal a little leg. "I'm so sorry for ruining the shoot. We will be on our way, I promise!"

"Kyoko-chan, It's Shingai Seiji, don't you remember me?"

She stood up with wide eyes. "Oh! Shingai-san. It's very nice to see you again. I'm so sorry about the shoot. Maria wanted to see Ren-san shoot and for some reason they let us in and then I was about to leave but then he...," she was rambling.

"Okay. Okay. It's fine. We were due for a break anyway. So you are here for…Ren-san?" He smiled teasingly and couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was no wonder there was a scene. Even he couldn't stop looking at her stunning form.

"Yes, we are," Maria finally spoke up which drew everyone's attention to her. She smiled while holding Kyoko's hand.

"I see." He turned to the nearest person walking past and ordered, "Tell Tsuruga-san he has guests." Director Shingai turned towards them and bowed. "It was very nice seeing you again, Kyoko-chan. I do hope one day to have you in one of my films."

She perked up, "Oh that would be a great honor for me. I would love to." She bowed again and he smiled then started to walk away. His eyes roamed over her dressed in that chinese dress and his mind was filled of thoughts of a scripted he had read. _Maybe she could... _

"Everyone take your dinner break. 1 hour!" He yelled out and everyone started to move.

"Tsuruga-san! Your wife and kid are here!" The man screamed out and Kyoko froze in mid bow. In fact the whole studio seemed to have frozen with her including the man in question.

Maria was the only one who didn't seem effected. "I am not his kid," she screamed out angrily. Everyone let go a sigh of relief and continued on with their business. Kyoko, however, couldn't get her heart to start beating again.

"How dumb. I'm 8! That would have made Ren-sama like 10 years old when I was born," Maria complained.

"13, Maria." _I would have been 9. How old do I look?_

Maria looked up at Kyoko and watched her face twist in a lot of different emotions. She almost looked sad or upset about something. She was about to ask but her attention was drawn to the man walking up to them.

Her whole body wanted to rush over and have him pick her up but then she remembered her mission. This was it. She was going to see if her theories were true or not. Though in all honesty, her first thought was completely different.

_He isn't looking at me._

She watched Ren walk over with his eyes completely on the woman next to her. It was like there was no one else around. He made a straight line to her. She turned her eyes to Kyoko. Kyoko was looking back at him. She wasn't fidgeting or looking away shyly, but Maria did notice that her hand started to get sweaty. The whole time they have been holding hands and they were dry until now, until Ren started coming over.

Ren stopped in front of them with that smile. She was getting use to seeing that soft gentle smile now. As soon as he stopped and smiled at her, her thumb started to softly caress Maria's hand over and over nervously.

"Hello wife," he said teasingly or at least that's how Kyoko took it. Kyoko blushed and looked away, her face growing a dark deep red. Maria thought he looked happy saying that.

"I…I didn't say… they assumed and… and I'm sooo sorry!" She bowed down and he laughed. Maria watched Ren's fingers rub together at his side as he watched her. Finally his gaze fell upon Maria.

"Maria-chan, thank you for clearing up that misunderstanding." He bent low and held out his arms. She couldn't help herself. She smiled gleefully and ran into his arms.

"Of course! It would be weird if you were my father and Onee-sama my mom. You would have had me when you were 13," she said proud of herself.

Kyoko grimaced and whispered horrified, "I would have been 9. I don't think that is humanly possible."

Ren laughed. "That's true. I would have liked to known you at that age though."

He turned to Maria and added, "I wouldn't have minded a daughter like you too." He tapped her nose playfully and smiled. It wasn't that smile though. It was his normal one - the one she always saw. She frowned as he turned his face to the still blushing woman in front of him. She watched him change again, and she felt those unsaid words.

_I wouldn't have minded you as my wife either._

Maria squirmed in his arms and he turned back at her with a confused look. Ren set her down and she quickly went back to Kyoko. His face went back to normal and Kyoko seemed to have gotten her color back to normal.

"So what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.

"Oh, well Maria wanted to see you act. We are spending the day together." Kyoko hesitated then continued, "Where is Yashiro-san?"

"Ah, he had a little headache so he went to my dressing room to rest." Ren smiled. _Thank you God for not having him out here when the crew man called Kyoko my wife._

"Oh, well, it's your dinner break, so we will leave you to eat."

"I'm hungry too!" Maria called out. There was no way that she was going to let her leave, not yet.

"That's perfect. I'm sure that you are hungry too, Kyoko," Ren quickly contributed to Maria's intrution. That blush that she was finally able to get under control came back lightly.

"I don't know. We shouldn't bother you and you now have less than an hour. If all of us went it would take longer for them to cook your meal and then you might be late. It would be best if we let you be," she reasoned. She wasn't holding Maria's hand after she had returned to her side but Kyoko was now playing with her hair or the dress absent-mindedly.

"Then we will go to a sushi train. It will be quick and plentiful," Ren offered.

"What's a sushi train?" Maria asked and both looked down at her. Ren smirked, and Kyoko was in shock. She didn't know what a sushi train was?

"A sushi train is fast food sushi. Everything is already made and you simply pick out what you want to eat when it passes by you on a little moving belt. It's a very quick and easy way to eat, and I wouldn't dare let Ren-san go eat in a place like that," she finished with a glare to Ren.

"Well then I could always get some onigiri that would be fine with me," he threatened and started to leave, and Kyoko started to yell at him.

"Oh, no you don't, mister." She took Maria's hand and chased after him. "You and those awful onigiri, those things are horrible for your diet especially if you are doing so much in a film. You need protein and real nutrients if you want to do your best, not empty carbs," she continued as Ren cheerfully smiled and walked over to his dressing room to pick up Yashiro.

Kyoko was rushing to keep up. With Ren's long strides and then Kyoko's hurried steps, Maria felt like she was running. They finally got to his dressing room and Ren stepped inside leaving Maria in a flush.

Kyoko looked down and found her panting. "Oh, I'm sorry Maria. Ren-san has long legs doesn't he? I'm surprise he wasn't carrying you like he always does. Are you feeling okay?" She croutched down and felt her forehead.

Maria didn't want to say that she was uncomfortable in his arms while he was looking at her like that. It was like she didn't exist and her chest ached. The last time that happened he was mad at Kyoko but this time was completely different, the total opposite in fact.

"I'm fine. He was all sweaty and I didn't like it." She coughed up an excuse and then watched as Kyoko's face flushed lightly. Maria didn't understand why she would blush at that comment. She seemed deep in thought when the door opened again.

Maria looked up to find Yashiro-san stunned half way out the door. She followed his gaze and saw that he was in fact looking at Kyoko with wide eyes. Ren peeked over his shoulder to see what the hold up was and his eyes widened as well.

"Yashiro-san…." Ren threatened and both Yashiro and Kyoko shrank in fear. He coughed and averted his eyes as he stepped through.

"Good evening, Kyoko-chan, Maria-chan. How are you two?" He asked and Kyoko stood up hesitantly. One moment, there was this wash of anger and it felt like BJ was here, then it all vanished like it never happened. What was that about?

Maria answered first, "Hi Yuki-san. We were going to watch Ren-sama act but then onee-sama stopped the shooting." Everyone watched as Kyoko blushed and ran her hand down the front of her dress.

"Kyoko-chan, you look lovely this evening. What is the occasion?" He asked politely obviously talking about the very form fitting dress which earned him a small glare from Ren.

"Oh, um, well, we were playing dress up at LME and Maria liked this dress so I wore it for today. It's, um, interesting to wear in public." Her hand shifted to the slit and she was trying to grab enough to keep it closed but with no luck.

"You wear it beautifully, Kyoko," Ren said and both Yashiro and Kyoko blushed at his words.

"Thank you, Ren-san," she murmured and her hand started to fidget. Maria's hand felt soaked and she didn't want it to get rubbed raw again so she dropped Kyoko's hand.

"Maria?" She asked.

"I'm hungry so let's go," she said impatiently.

"Oh yes, you're right. We better go if we are going to eat." She held her hand out again but Maria shook her head. She walked over to Yashiro and Ren and Ren started to bend down, however she went pass him and to Yashiro.

Yashiro looked down at her with wide eyes as she lifted her arms up at him. He looked to the two stunned actors and then back at Maria who simply waited. Yashiro quickly handed Ren his planner and lifted Maria in his arms.

"Are you angry at me, Maria-chan?" Ren asked with a worried face.

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to cry and throw a temper tantrum but it was his feelings towards her sister, the only person she truly felt a connection to. Maria could dissuade any woman looking at him and trying to catch his eye but she never thought that anyone would catch his. She shook her head and tried look cheery.

"No, but you are tired so Yuki-san can carry me." She looked at Yashiro. "You don't mind, do you?" She asked him. A stunned Yashiro quickly shook his head.

"No, I don't mind as long as you don't," he answered.

She nodded once and then pointed forward and cheered, "Let's eat!" Everyone looked at her oddly but then started out the door. Kyoko ended up in the front seat with Ren at Maria and Yashiro's insistence.

Maria sat behind Ren because she wanted to watch Kyoko. She was sure of how Ren felt. She wasn't sure about her feelings yet. Yashiro was more than happy to sit behind Kyoko, because he wanted to see… he smiled. He wanted to watch Ren's reaction as Kyoko stepped into his car.

With that dress and the high slit on the left side, her stepping in must be a real juicy sight and both of the men weren't disappointed. Kyoko hesitated going in but she knew she had to hurry up and do it or she would make them later than they already are. She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the slit to hold it together as much as possible and stepped in.

Yashiro grinned as he watched Ren completely ogled her stepping in. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and his eyes darkened. When she finally sat down she squirmed in her seat and Ren had to look away.

"What's so funny, Yuki-san?" Maria asked innocently and he shut up quickly. Ren turned a glare at him through the rear view mirror.

"Ah… nothing, Maria-chan, I was thinking of a funny story," he quickly lied.

"Oh, what is it? Please tell." She asked excitedly.

"Yes, _**Yuki-san**_, do tell," Ren said mockingly with a gentleman's smile and Yashiro shrunk into his seat. He made a quick excuse and quickly changed the subject to Maria and what she was doing recently. She filled the ride quickly with chatter about things saving Yashiro from certain death.

The ride was short which was on purpose. They did not end up at a sushi train restaurant but at an okonomiyaki shop. Kyoko was sure she could cook enough food with plenty of time for them to eat.

They took a booth to the back and Kyoko sat in her normal spot across from Ren, thankful that her slit was going to face a wall instead of the crowd.

"Sit on that side, onee-sama!" Maria suddenly commanded. Kyoko looked at Maria who was still standing and then Ren who stopped before sitting down. Yashiro was grinning like an idiot behind them.

"But, I'm fine here, Maria. Come on and sit down with me," Kyoko almost sounded like she was whinning but stoped slightly short of it.

Yashiro coughed and put on his best professional appearance. "Kyoko-chan, you are going to have to get use to hiding in public like Ren here. It would be best for you to learn to always sit away from the crowd," He continued before she could argue. "It's getting late and we must hurry if we are going to eat."

That was the clincher. She sighed and looked up at Ren who gave her a sympathetic look. She slipped out and once again she had to flash the room with this dreadful dress. As she was about to sit down, Ren stepped close to her covering up anyone's view of her leg as she sat.

'Thank you' she mouthed and he nodded with a smile. _As if I would allow anyone but myself a glimpse of that beautiful pure flesh. Why did Maria-chan have to pick that one of all the things she could wear? _Maria was right thought. She did look devastatingly gorgeous in it and he was lucky enough to get the full effect of the form fitting Chinese dress as he sat down next to her.

They chatted a little while the food was being gathered for them. Maria noticed that Kyoko wouldn't stop twitching slightly. Her arms were moving every so often too. Everyone seemed distracted and she ducked her head under the table to the other side. There was a pale glimpse of her thigh that the slit refused to cover as she was sitting down. Kyoko was trying to pull her skirt over her thigh with no luck. She was able to cover her knees down with her very formal way of sitting. She watched as Kyoko suddenly yanked the cloth making her hand slip and hit Ren's thigh.

She heard her gasp from her sistter and then watched as Ren took her hand under the table and held on to it. Maria popped her head up and saw Ren leaning over and whispering into her ear. Kyoko was blushing again and then nodded quickly. Finally, Kyoko brought her hand up and then jumped suddenly. Maria didn't think her face could get any darker but there it was and then Ren pulled his hand up with a smirk.

"Is everything okay?" Yashiro asked trying to swallow his excitement.

"Everything is perfect," Ren said and the food came.

Everyone could see the relief in Kyoko once she started cooking. She was in her element and had quickly made up three savory pancakes in a flash. Everyone knew she could cook but what surprised a few as that Yashiro wanted to make his own.

"You cook, Yashiro-san?" Kyoko asked as Ren started on his and Maria dived into hers.

"I do. I cook whenever I can actually. I do live alone. You can't expect me to live off of onigiri's like someone else I know," he said smugly and then Kyoko tilted her head in curiosity.

"What can you cook?"

"Oh well lots of little things. It's nothing as fancy as your food but simple meals like curry and such. I don't really get to cook often since we are always out for work," he replied honestly.

"So if you can cook, why do you ask me to cook for Ren-san? You can make him meals if you are worried about him too."

Ren snorted, trying to hide his laughter.

"Ah, Ren-san, are you okay? Are you choking?" She was rubbing and patting his back.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Sorry." He turned to Yashiro with a smile and asked, "Yes, why do you ask her to cook for me if you can do it? I wouldn't mind trying your cooking, manager."

Yashiro glared at him and smiled. "But you are a much better cook than I am, Kyoko-chan plus I'm often extremely tired after working all day. You remember what that was like, right, Kyoko-chan?"

"Oooh yes," she said it like it was a shared experience that only Yashiro and she would know.

Ren turned and looked at her confused. "And what is that suppose to mean?"

She blushed. "Well, Ren-san…" she bit her lip, "you have a very hectic schedule and that takes some getting use to. I enjoyed every minute with you but I think I rather stay your co-star than your manager."

Then she panicked at little and added, "Oh but I wouldn't mind doing it again, if you ever need me again that is."

Ren smiled. "I understand. I'm sure most managers would have quit by now."

"Oh I wouldn't give this up, it pays too well," Yashiro said with a serious tone. Kyoko was taken aback for a moment then he smiled. "Not that I could leave my little brother to the wolves."

"Little brother?" Kyoko asked curious.

Ren laughed. "Once Yashiro-san got really drunk and told me he thought of me as a little brother. I figured we were more friends than brothers but there you have it."

Kyoko laughed and nodded. "That fits well actually."

They all ate and Kyoko made a few more okonomiyaki which were eaten quickly. Maria watched as they all laughed and smiled. Ren would sometimes gaze at her for a few moments and then pull himself away. She would see Yashiro smile knowingly with an excited sparkle in his eye.

Kyoko would blushed, mumbled or looked away shyly throughout the night. She was always so hesitant when Ren asked her things. She remembered how Kyoko wouldn't go to lunch with him at first but then she did after a few minutes. Maria had a certain suspicion that she had to make clear.

Ren stood up and went to go pay before Maria even realized what was happening. Kyoko tried to argue about him paying and followed him up. Yashiro smiled at them as she tried to convince Ren to let her pay for some when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to Maria.

"Is everything okay, Maria-chan?"

She pressed her lips together and then whispered, "Is onee-sama "playing hard to get" with Ren-sama?"

Yashiro looked down at Maria with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Grandfather told me that people want what they can't have and that was "playing hard to get". Does this mean that onee-sama wants Ren or the other way around?"

Yashiro was speechless for several reasons. For one, for her to notice something between the two of them was interesting and then the fact that she could see the signs of playing hard to get but she didn't quite understand what that meant. All she knew was that it had something to do with liking another person.

"When a person "plays hard to get" it means they are trying to get someone's attention, to get someone to look at them. So you are saying that Kyoko-chan wants Ren's attention by playing with him. No, Kyoko-chan would never do that. She is too honest with her feelings and respects everyone too much to play a game like that," Yashiro answered with certianty.

Maria understood that much more now. Yashiro watched her process what he said. He hoped that she could understand. It was a very adult concept.

"Maria," Yashiro asked curiously,"are you seeing how they feel about each other? Is that way you didn't want to be with Ren?"

She blushed and Yashiro knew he hit it square on the head. Then he felt sad for the little girl. It was obvious that she had a crush on Ren and that she often drove away any girls that spoke to him, all except for one, her onee-sama, Kyoko.

Maria watched the two come back. Ren was smiling down at her and Kyoko was slightly upset but she could tell it wasn't serious. Ren playfully batted the little flowers dangling from her hair making Kyoko flush slightly and look up at him with a dazzling smile and Maria caught something in her eye. She had been seeing it all night. She would look up at Ren while he spoke about something, and she saw something there.

It was something she thought she wouldn't see in her sister, the founder of the LoveMe group. So many unknown emotions flooded through her mind as she saw the signs. She was upset, scared, sad, curious and just plain confused by everything.

They were in love just like in grandfather's TV show, and she didn't know how to feel about that.


	4. Comfort and Challenge

Chapter 4

A week has passed and Maria didn't want to leave home. All her tutors went there instead of LME. They were paid enough to not care where they taught her whether it happens at home, at LME or at a coffee shop.

Yet Lory grew more and more concerned at Maria's recent lack of enthusiasm. He bought her things, treated her with her favorite foods and tried to do things that would normally make her happy.

Finally after a long day, he knocked at her door and opened it slightly. Maria was sitting on the window seat, staring out the darkened window while holding on to her favorite stuff rabbit. It was a stuffed animal that her mother had given to her and while she loved the Ren doll Kyoko gave her, she still held that one close to her heart.

Lory sat down next to her but didn't opt to talk. She was dressed up in a frilly white and pink nightgown with her little toes peaking from under the cloth. Her hair was freed from its ribbons and pins and she looked like a lost innocent little girl he knew and loved.

He sat with her and waited quietly. He looked out the window, his eyes glancing at her every now and again, seeing if he could see a change in her. She started to fidget slightly, her feet shuffled and then she hugged the rabbit tighter a few moments later. He heard her sob softly and he turned his full attention to her. He lifted his hand and touched her cheek softly. She flew into her grandfather's arms and cried.

"Shhh, It's okay," Lory gently patted her head, stroked her hair and rocked her till she stopped. She pulled away but stayed within the comforting warmth of his arms.

"Are you ready to talk? What's wrong, Maria?" He asked calmly and then waited. Maria rested her head on his chest and he held her.

"Did you know?" She whispered inaudibly.

"I can't hear you." He pulled back and looked at her blotchy face.

"Did you know that they love each other?" She asked again.

"Who?" He wasn't thinking about anyone except her at the moment. She pressed her lips together. She didn't want to say it so instead she pointed to the doll that sat next to her bed. Lory followed her arm down to her hand to where it was pointing.

"Ah." He took her outstretched hand and held it gently. "Ren still loves you. He won't change his feelings for you just because he is in love with someone else."

"How can he love me and onee-sama?" She asked confused.

"You can love multiple people at the same time. I love you and I love your daddy. I loved your mommy and my lost wife." He stopped and looked at her. She didn't seem convinced.

"Do you love me?" He asked and she nodded.

"Do you love your daddy and mommy?" Again she nodded.

"Do you love Kyoko-chan?" She nodded softer this time.

"And you love Ren. You love all these people, right?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"See. A person can love lots of different people at the same time." Lory smiled and Maria sat thinking about it. As it mature in her head she returned a soft smile back at him.

"So does that mean I can still marry Ren-sama when I get older?"

Lory snorted. "Well, he can only marry one person, but you might with the way things are going right now," he said with a slight frustration.

"What do you mean?" She frowned at him confused.

He smiled gently and leaned back against her window sill. He hugged her comfortably in his arms, as if he was going to tell a story. "Well you see, Ren has loved your big sister for a long time now. In fact, he has known and loved her since before you were born."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yup. They met when he was 10 and she was 6…" Lory relayed what he knew of their past. He told the story like it was a tragic fairy tale from the moment they met with her wicked mother, to her heartbreak and then Ren's goals of being like his father. He wove a story about their shared brief moments of love to their fated reunion, of the fear and the love that will conquer everything.

Okay so he smudged a lot of details while he recited it. He didn't mention anything about his troubled past only that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps by starting like he did - in Japan, nor that Tsuruga Ren wasn't his real name.

And with Kyoko, he made it sound like she was Cinderella, always unloved when her father disappeared and always underappreciated by her mother and then by Fuwa. It didn't take Lory long to get the whole story after Kyoko was reluctant to contact her mother. He was furious at how a woman can value her own life more than her daughter's, to practically sell her off to a family for their spoiled son to marry. Then there was Fuwa Sho. If he had that boy in his agency, there would have been hell to pay.

By the time Lory told his elaborated, semi truthful story, Maria was so enraptured by it she had forgotten her own heartbreak.

"…and every day he tries to tell her how he feels but the hurt and fear in her heart doesn't let her see it. While the fear in his heart of losing her doesn't let him go further than the little things you saw. " Lory stopped and watched her. She waited impatiently in his lap for the rest of the story, however, he didn't continue.

"That's it? Where is the rest? They are supposed to get together. Like, 'But then one day, it happens because of something and they live happily ever after,'" Maria whined and he laughed.

"Well that hasn't happened yet. Kyoko is still fighting her pain and Ren is still waiting and both don't know about each other's feelings." _And Ren is still fighting his own demons. That stupid boy can't move on from his one mistake as if it defined his whole sense of self. Doesn't that boy know that he has changed, that he could never…_

"…tell them?" Maria interrupted his thoughts but only heard the last two words. Still it was enough for him to assume what she was asking.

He sighed. "Anyone can try but it won't work all the time. Some people won't believe it unless it is that person that tells them. If her best friend told her that he loved her, she would think that she is saying it to make her feel better about her feelings or in Kyoko's case simply to tease her. It has to be from him for it to mean anything. As for Ren, he will believe you are being mean and want proof of her love. So it has to come from her for him to believe it."

Maria growled, "That is so fussterateing." Lory smiled at her mispronunciation of frustrating. She continued, "If, after eleven years?" She paused and looked at him for confirmation. He nodded.

"If, after eleven years has passed and there is still nothing, then we will probably have to wait another eleven years to see them together."

Lory laughed. "I hope they don't wait that long. I'm trying to help them get to say their feelings a lot sooner."

Maria looked up at him with a blank look and asked, "You can do that? But I thought you said it has to be from them?"

"Oh it does, but if you make them do things that forces them together for long periods of time, sometimes their feelings will show and it's happening more and more like you saw. Soon they will be put somewhere where they have to tell each other their feelings and we will get that happily ever after." Lory's eyes sparkled at the prospect of love and seeing his two children getting together after all their woes.

Maria was consumed by her own thoughts and ignored her grandfather slipping out of reality. She bet that the things that Grandfather used were so fancy that they didn't know what was really happening.

She would have to take this into her own hands. A real, down to earth person like herself could get them together more than her weird grandfather.


	5. I Love You

Chapter 5

Maria spent days looking into how to get them together. Kyoko was easier to follow than Ren was. She never saw Ren very often, but she never tried to seek him out before either. The man was never around LME, at least not for these past few days. She was able to follow Kyoko much more, and she figured if Ren loved her he will pop up sooner or later.

With Kyoko, her attendance has increased within LME since she isn't required on Dark Moon as much. So that left Box R and school that she disappeared to. She found out that Kyoko wouldn't go to school if Box R had a full shooting starting early in the day. If she is doing something for only an hour or so she will go back. Kyoko will also spend about two hours at LME if all she did that day was go to school. Otherwise, she will go straight home.

What she does at home Maria found difficult to figure out. She couldn't go there since she was unescorted and the shop was so small that she would be easily spotted. So on one Thursday afternoon she asked if they could play again.

"I'm sorry Maria, I can't tonight. I have a show tonight, how about tomorrow night?" She said apologetically. Maria thought hard about what she was doing but she couldn't remember her having to shoot at night.

"Is Box R doing something special?" She asked curiously.

Kyoko pressed her lips together and slightly looked away then back at the little girl. "No, it's for… another show. I have about an hour till I need to be there. I'm here to check the audition boards to see if there was anything new. Want to join me?"

Maria was a little stunned to find that she had another show and filmed at night. _What was she doing tonight? Another show? Was it new? _Finally she shook her head, and Kyoko nodded.

"Okay. We'll spend some time together another day then. Be good, Maria." Kyoko walked away and Maria decided to head upstairs to see Uncle but unfortunately he had already left for the day. She wanted to look through his files or on the computer to find out but her grandfather has told her never to through other people's things and to be honest she was a little worried if she could find anything in this mess that Sawara called a desk.

That left only one thing left to do… follow her.

Maria changed out of the frilly dress and into a pale yellow t-shirt with a bright blue flower on it and shorts. She also put on a small tan cap so she wouldn't be noticed. When she went to find her big sister and she wasn't at the audition boards, she panicked a little.

_What if she already left! I'll never find out what she is doing. _Maria ran around the area where she was most likely to find her. She went upstairs to her grandfather's office, to Sawara's again, then to Yashiro's dusty never used desk. Even the LoveMe room was empty and from the looks of things she hadn't been in it either. As she was about to give up hope, she found her in L.A Hearts eating a light dinner.

She tried to stay hidden since being noticed right now would defeat the purpose of the disguise. After almost 15 minutes of pure boredom, she finally moved. Kyoko paid for the meal, gathered her items and Maria hid behind every person, plant or inanimate object she could. She thanked the spirits that be that Kyoko wasn't riding her bike today.

Maria found herself at TBM studios and as soon as she walked in she saw posters of what they filmed there which were mostly talk shows and variety shows like Kimagura Rock. It was one of the LME shows that she actually watched of her own accord. Well she did like watching anything that had to do with her sister and Ren but sometimes she didn't understand them.

This one was a lot of fun though. They tried to make it into a talk show and a variety show at the same time and the games they played with Bo were funny. Now that she was thinking about it, it was being shown tonight. She looked up at the clock. It was coming on in about an hour actually.

It would be so much fun to watch it in person than on television. She sighed. Now was not the time for that. Perhaps she can ask to come and see it another week. Right now she had to find Kyoko. She looked around and realized that she lost her. She was lucky enough to see that she was in one long hallway; however, the moment it ended, there were three hallways she could go. Maria started to panic a little and went down the shortest hallway, the one right in front of her.

It was simply offices and most of them were empty. Going back to the cross road, she looked to the right which seemed like more rooms but to the left sounded loud, more like that of a shoot. She went left and peeked into every door she found in hopes of finding Kyoko. She tried not to look lost. She didn't want someone to talk to her. While she was use to being alone in a massive building, this one she didn't know and they didn't know her.

Her heart was hammering as she still couldn't find her. She was starting to wish that she had taken a cell phone. At least then she could call for help if she couldn't find Kyoko. There was a large dressing room with three boys, the three that hosted the Kimagura Rock show. They were talking and laughing about something. Bo wasn't there or at least a fourth man that would be Bo wasn't there. She left and continued through the building looking and hiding where she could.

Finally, she passed a storage location and spotted her. Maria was so relieved that she didn't think and instantly ran up and wrapped her arms around her.

"Whaaa!" Kyoko looked down to find a frightened child clinging to her. There was a light colored hat on with golden yellow hair under it. She pulled the hat off to see her face, letting the girl's hair fall.

"M…Maria!" She bent down and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to know where you were going, so I followed you and then I lost you and got scared." She looked like she was on the verge of crying but withheld.

Kyoko sighed. "You shouldn't do that. Please ask me next time or at least bring someone with you. What if something happened or someone took you? Do you know how much that would have hurt me?" She hugged the little girl and burying her face in her hair.

"I'm sorry, onee-sama, but I always had you in my sight. So if something were to happen I knew you were right there." She sounded so confident. Kyoko understood that to be a compliment, but she felt such pressure and feared the possibilities. It was sweet that this little girl trusted her to that degree though.

"I would do anything in the world to keep you safe and sound, but I would much rather have known you were there and walking with me hand in hand than you following me. Please don't go out alone like that again. Okay?" She pleaded. Maria nodded and Kyoko smiled. Kyoko stood back up and started pushing a large cart down the dark hall.

"So what are you filming here? Oh are you a guest on Kimagura Rock?" Maria asked and looked at Kyoko. She wasn't really dressed to be a guest star on the show. She was wearing a pair of black spandex shorts, a tight light blue tank top and a headband holding her hair back.

"Are you doing a work out video?" She asked again, and Kyoko smiled humorously.

"No, I'm not a guest and no, I'm not doing a work out video." She paused and looked down at Maria, who waited impatiently. Kyoko stopped finally reaching the end of the little hall and turned to her.

"You can keep a secret, right?" She asked and Maria nodded vigorously. She has yet to tell anyone about her plans or even that Ren and she loved each other. Of course, she can keep a secret if she knows it is one.

"Alright then," she reached into the cart and paused, "Ready?" Again Maria nodded with eager eyes.

Kyoko pulled out the Bo head dramatically and exclaimed, "Tada! I'm Bo!"

Maria's eyes went wide and she started bouncing in her spot and squeeling, "No way! Really? Really? For how long?"

Kyoko laughed. "Well, since they started actually. The original guy was sick, so they called Moko-san and me to cover. Moko-san didn't want to do it therefore, I did it. They liked me and allowed me to stay on permanently."

"Wow! So all this time it was you. Does Ren-sama know?" She asked, and Kyoko froze as she was pulling the rest of the costume out of the bin.

She replied nervously, "N…n…n…no! And he mustn't ever know!"

Maria frowned. "Why not? It's a job. He likes any work that he does. You should like all the work you have too."

Kyoko was shoving her feet into the costume while she spoke, "Oh I love being Bo. It's just…" She paused again, "I don't think he would be happy if he knew I was Bo."

Maria smiled knowingly. She knew that he would love anything she did but Kyoko didn't. "I think Ren-sama won't care. He really, really likes you, onee-sama."

Kyoko blushed. "Maria, it isn't good to spread rumors especially those that could hurt Ren-san's career." She turned awkwardly in the suit and zipped it up. She lifted the head with her wing and started to squeak as she walked.

"But it's true. He really loves y…"

"Maria!" Kyoko snapped interrupting her in mid-sentence. She took a deep breath as she saw Maria's stunned face and calmly spoke, "Please stop. He is a wonderful handsome man who is helping me by teaching me acting tricks. He might like me as a person, yes, but that's it. To say the word…" she licked her lips, "love is going too far. Love is a very powerful thing, and you shouldn't use it unless you really mean it. To say that Tsuruga Ren loves me isn't right."

Maria looked up at the half Bo/half Kyoko form, and she wanted to cry. There was pain and sadness in her eyes, her face as she spoke. Grandfather was right. Kyoko was hurting so much that she couldn't see the love right in front of her.

"I love you, onee-sama," she said quietly and right into her eyes. She watched as Kyoko stilled and her face changed. She brightened overall, her eyes started to water and shine and behind those tears was happiness. She smiled a big bright blinding smile. She kneeled down clumsily, wrapped her wings around her and hugged her as best she could.

"I think you are the very first person to ever say that to me, Maria. Thank you," she whispered into her hair and Maria couldn't help but let her tears fall. To have lived a life where no one, not a single person in the whole world has ever said "I love you" to you. Maria couldn't imagine it. It was simply beyond her.

She felt Kyoko take a shaky breath and pulled away. No tears fell from her eyes, but they were still extremely watery. The smile weakened to a small watery one and Maria felt her brush away her tears.

"I love you too Maria," Kyoko said completely heart felt and stood up. She extended her wing and Maria took it.

"So then, are you going to stay and watch the show or do you need to return back to LME?" Kyoko paused in horror realizing something. "Tell me President Takarada knows you are here."

Maria shook her head and then Kyoko disappeared, the constant sound of squeaking feet ran down the hallway.

"Yes, it will only take a moment of his time." Maria heard Kyoko say as she walked back.

"Ah, hello, sir…Yes, she is with me," she said than pulled the phone way from her ear, and Maria could hear his voice but couldn't understand what he said.

"N…n…no, sir! I didn't, she followed me. I'm so sorry! I never meant…" she was interrupted

"Yes, sir… Of course, sir… Absolutely, sir… Okay, here she is, sir." Kyoko felt like ten years were stripped from her life as she handed the phone to Maria.

"Hi Grandfather," she said cheerily.

"Maria! I have told you never to leave the building unless you tell me and you have an adult with you. I almost had the police out there looking for you," Lory scolded.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather. Onee-sama already yelled at me about it too. Grandfather, may I stay and watch the show please, please?" She begged.

"Absolutely not, Sen-san is already going out there to pick you up. You aren't leaving the house for a week with what you did."

"Yes, grandfather," she said sadly.

"I'll see you soon, don't leave Kyoko-chan's side until he comes and picks you up."

"Okay, goodbye grandfather." She hung up and handed the phone back to Kyoko.

"I can't stay. Sen-sama is coming to pick me up and he said to not leave you till he is here."

Kyoko thought about that for a moment. "Okay, it usually takes Ren about ten or so minutes to get here from LME, but you are going to have to come to my pre-show meeting with me.

Maria actually loved that idea and was eager to go. They all went on stage and Maria was dazzled with everything. She saw the audience start to fill up the bleachers and the three hosts were there with their producer. The producer did not look happy as Kyoko and Maria approached.

"You can't bring your kid here, Mogami," he yelled, and Kyoko hung her head.

"I am not her daughter!" Maria screamed and stomped her foot. He said it so rudely to her too, not even with an honorific.

"Either way, you can't have her here," he yelled again and this time one dark-haired host spoke up.

"Uh… Producer, that's Takarada Maria, as in President Takarada Lory's granddaughter," Yuusei warned him and the mean man did a complete 180 personality check. He smiled and walked up with a good nature will.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Maria-chan. Please forgive me, of course you can stay. Would you like anything to eat or drink? We can have you sit in the VIP room if you like," he said sweating bullets.

"No, and it's Takarada-chan to you! Why are you so mean to my onee-sama?" she yelled out angrily taking Kyoko's winged hand in hers and the producer looked up at Kyoko's shocked face.

"Onee-sama?" He whispered, "You're Takarada's granddaughter?" he gasped out.

"No, no, no. We aren't related by blood. It's a term of endearment." Kyoko turned to Maria. "Maria, he is only doing is job, and I messed up a lot when I first started here. It was my first job, so I was having trouble. He is making sure I don't mess up anymore."

"It's your first job! Everyone messes up their first time, why is he still mad at you?" She said angrily. Kyoko actually didn't have an answer for that and she hesitated answering. The three Ishibashi guys did come up at this instant.

"Yeah, producer, why are you still picking on Kyoko-chan? She is doing really well and even made the show more popular. You should forgive her already," Hikaru said and the other two were putting their arms around Bo's shoulders.

"I'm not mad. I was surprised that's all. We don't let anyone beside crew here. I was being cautious," the producer said with all good intentions.

"There see, he's not mad at me. Now I think your ride is here." Kyoko pointed to the side of the stage behind Maria. Sen-san stepped up on stage in a toga to everyone's amazement and bowed.

"Okay." Maria beckoned Kyoko down and she tip-toed up to whisper in her ear, "I promise I won't tell anyone you being Bo."

Kyoko smiled and hugged her. "Thank you. Be good and I'll see you later." Maria ran to Sen-san and turned for one last wave goodbye.

She turned back to the group and there was a very angry, wounded producer ready to snap. She sighed. Sometimes, no mater what you do, you can't change how a person feels about you.


	6. Locked Out

Chapter 6

She had to wait a whole week before she could try anything new since she was under house arrest. She thought to try and work on Ren telling her how he felt, but she really didn't know how to do that. Grandfather said they had to be alone and then something would happen.

So the question was how do you get them alone and keep them alone for a long time?

Once she was free and back in LME, she started her scavenger hunt of a proper place to put them. The sad thing was that every office or meeting room all locked people out, not people in. She tried to play with the door to try and keep it locked from the inside but with no luck.

She went to the LoveMe room and found nothing different. Feeling defeated, she started her trek back upstairs to think of a new plan. She slunk back in to Lory's office, sat on the couch and turned on the TV.

Lory was on the phone and only noticed her when the TV came on. He was thankful that the volume was on low and continued his conversation. After a grueling debate, he finally got off the phone when his secretary came in.

"Sir, some of the smokers got lock out on the roof again. You need to get maintenance to replace the locks up there so they can't get out."

He sighed. "I can't! It's illegal to lock a fire exit. Just have Yokoyama give them a written warning. There are smoking areas all around the grounds, tell them they need to go downstairs."

"Yes sir." She walked out.

Maria became curious and surprised Lory with a question, "How are they locked out if the door can't have a lock?"

Lory gasped and his hand went to his chest. "Oh Maria." He took a deep breath. "The door has to be open to those leaving but not to those coming back in. So it is always locked to stop people from coming in, not going out. Though the smokers take a brick or even a book to keep the door from locking, because they are too lazy to go downstairs and smoke."

He sighed in thought. "Maybe a smoking room might be beneficial or we can build a patio area for them so they won't go on the roof." He was thinking out loud but Maria already left with a plan.

_Three days later…_

Tonight, Ren was free and Kyoko didn't have to Bo. They were both free! Well not for long. Maria smiled. She took her phone that she never used from Lory's desk. She had one just in case she ever needed it. She didn't mind it, but she didn't like carrying it around so she always had it there. She mostly had it to call. She never got any calls from it.

She ran upstairs all the way to the roof door at 6:15. It was closed, but she saw the brick that the people would use to keep it open. It seems that they only kept it open when they were actually smoking and then they would close it when they were done. She looked around and found no one up there and then hid in the small corner across from the door. There were some big pipes for the air conditioning that she was sure she could hide beside.

She called Ren first.

Ren was driving home after dropping Yashiro off. He had the whole night free, and he was going to enjoy it. It felt so long since he was able to do absolutely nothing. His thoughts wondered to a certain girl when his phone rang.

_Unknown Caller_

He frowned. Most people that called him he had listed and would show up on his phone. He flipped open his phone one handed, "Hello?"

"REN-SAMA! I CAN'T GET OUT. I'M SCARED. HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME," she cried, and Ren almost ran into a parked car.

"Maria? Wait, calm down. You can't get out? Out of what? Where are you?"

"I…I'm at LME. I went to the roof and the door locked behind me and now I can't back in and it's getting dark and I'm scared. Grandfather won't answer his phone. COME GET ME!" She filled her voice with tears and fear.

Ren made the quickest u-turn possible, leaving behind a lot of angry drivers. "I'm on my way, Maria. Stay calm, nothing will happen to you. Stay on the phone with me and I'll be right there," he said soothingly.

"Okay," she sniffed and then whined, "my battery is dying! Ren-sa…" *click*

Maria hung up with a smile and then dialed Kyoko.

Even though Ren was the first person she called, Kyoko was upstairs first.

"Maria!" She yelled out and practically flew up the stairs. Maria was shocked at how quickly she came up but stayed hidden as Kyoko opened the door.

"Maria! I'm here, it's Kyoko! Come out!" She watched her stay at the open door. When there was no answer she came back through and Maria was worried she would get noticed, but she never turned around. Kyoko stepped back and picked up the grey brick. She dumped it and sure enough it held the door open.

"Maria! Where are you?" She yelled out and went to look for her. Then not a few minute later she heard more foot steps, they seemed slower and heavier, not at all like Kyoko's. Maria peeked behind the piping and found that Ren was taking about three steps at a time up the stairs.

Ren hesitated as he found the door already open. He pulled out his phone and frowned. No one had called, but she would have come back out if the door was opened. He shut the phone. He still had to make sure she wasn't up there.

"Maria?" He called out, projecting his voice. Nothing.

He stepped through and heard noise but couldn't see anything. It was simply getting too dark. It must be her though. He followed where the noise was coming from.

"Maria?" He called out again softly as to not spook her.

"Ren-san?"

He looked up and found Kyoko appear from around the air conditioning vent.

"Kyoko? What are you doing up here? Is Maria-chan with you?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. I can't find her. She called me a few minutes ago saying she was stuck up here. The door was closed, but she wasn't near it so I came out looking," she said all this while still looking around. She turned back to him. "Why are you here?"

"She called me too. I was driving home when I got her call. Then her phone died. She must have called me after you."

Kyoko frowned. "She said her phone was dying to me." They both looked at each other oddly then suddenly they heard a door close. They looked at each other and both of their eyes widened. Ren turned and headed for the door with Kyoko following close behind.

Ren reached it first and turned the knob. Nothing. It wouldn't bulge. "Looks like we are locked out."

Maria smiled. She had her ear pressed against the door to try and hear what was happening. She shrunk back as they tried the door then thought herself silly after they couldn't open it. That was the whole point of it. She stood up pleased with herself. They will be up there till morning and by then they will have told each other their love and it will all be over.

Now was the time to figure out how to get out of the trouble she was going to get in when they came out. Still it was worth getting yelled at when they come out holding hands happy.

"I'll call Moko-san and see if she can come get us." Maria heard Kyoko say. She smacked both hands on her forehead. Their phones! Of course they would have their phones. _Maria, you are so stupid! _If she was able to call them up here, they would be able to call for help.

"She's not answering. She is probably on a shoot at the moment," Kyoko sounded worried and disappointed. Maria cheered, but she wasn't safe yet. She pressed her ear to the door again and waited.

"Maria-chan said that Takarada-san wasn't answering his phone. I will call Yashiro-san, but it will take a bit for him to get here. It should only be about 20 minutes or so," Maria heard Ren say and slumped on the floor.

"Oh, good." Kyoko paused, "I'm going to look around for Maria one last time to make sure she isn't hiding while we wait." Maria heard the crunch of her foot steps and felt a little guilty for this.

"Okay…. Yashiro-san, we are stuck on the roof of LME." He paused. "No, I didn't start smoking again, Maria-chan called Kyoko and me saying she was stuck up here. Hey when you get here see if you can find her in LME, because she isn't here," another pause, "Yeah, we will be fine. Just find Maria-chan."

"Kyoko, he's coming. Any luck?" He yelled out and went the direction she went.

"Kyoko?" He called out and nothing. He sighed. All he needed was another girl missing. He turned the corner of a shed and Kyoko ran into him.

"Agh! I'm sorry, Ren-san!" Her warm hands braced herself on his flat stomach. "It's hard to see you in these dark clothes." She laughed softly and slid her hands down the fabric of his shirt and off of his body.

He smiled down at her and wished she had continued touching him. "Sorry, I should invest in some brighter clothes like yours." He smiled and lightly touched the bright hot pink overalls.

She laughed. "You would look great in this color." He smiled and then laughed since he couldn't keep it in. Her laughter died down but the smile didn't.

"Besides you look nice in dark clothes anyway," she whispered shyly making Ren's heart start to race.

Kyoko was relieved to know that he couldn't see her blush. She shifted her weight and started to move around him. Still she couldn't see well and her hand touched his arm. Her breath hitched as his hand came up and grasped her elbow.

"Hold on to me till we can get out, there are a lot of obstacles up here and I don't want you getting hurt," he whispered and it felt too intimate in the dark.

"O…okay," she stuttered and held on to his forearm. She felt him move with her. She was so overwhelmed by his presence that she stumbled on nothing. She gripped his arm and felt his hand around her waist.

"Are you okay?" She felt his breath right next to her ear. The heat from his body seemed to press against her even though he was still a respectable distance from her.

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

"Maria isn't up here anymore. She must have gone back through the door when you left it open. Let's wait by the door till Yashiro-san comes back." They walked back and unwillingly separated and then waited.

Meanwhile, after Maria heard that Yashiro was coming to open the door for them she tried to make herself scarce. If she heard correctly, he was supposed to find her before he got them out. Still she made sure to still be within the path leading to the roof's fire exit.

That worry proved worthwhile. After looking around for about 20 minutes, Yashiro came down the corridor for the third time and headed towards the stairs for the roof. It's been about 40 minutes since they have been up there. Was that enough? She was planning on them being there till morning though.

She didn't want to announce herself to the manager, but then she remembered the funny way he was acting when he was around Ren and Kyoko. Perhaps he could help.

"Yuki-san!" She jumped out from behind a large potted plant, and he turned around in a flush.

"Maria-chan! I was looking everywhere for you. Ren and Kyoko-chan was too. Were you here this whole time?" He kneeled down and checked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt.

She started to shift around nervously. "Um… I sort of made it up."

Yashiro paused and looked at her face. "Excuse me?"

"I made it up. I, um, wanted to trap them on the roof together till morning so they could tell each other 'I love you'." She smiled brightly and then slowly wilted as he did not look happy about it.

"Maria! That was not a nice thing to do. Funny, but not nice." Yashiro was fighting an urge not to smile or laugh. "You got three people extremely worried about you and dropped everything they were doing to come help you. One day when you really are in trouble they won't come and help. You can't lie to get what you want." He lectured and she looked guilty.

"Remind me to tell Kyoko to read you the story about the boy who cried wolf. But now we have to let them down." He stood and Maria grabbed his hand.

"But, can't we leave them there just a little longer. Maybe something good will happen?" She didn't want her efforts to go to complete waste. Yashiro paused for a moment thinking.

"How long have they been up there?" He asked curiously.

"Um, a little under an hour," Maria replied still holding on to his hand.

Yashiro thought about it. Ren would be furious if he knew what was happening. Granted his concern right now was about the little girl that was currently lost. It wouldn't be right to leave him up there worrying about Maria. But… he was with the girl he loves… alone… in the dark.

Yashiro turned to Maria with a small smile. "Okay. But I need to teach you about not lying like that. Let me tell you a little story and then we will let them out."

"Can't it be a long story then?" She pleaded.

He laughed. "I'll make it as long as possible." He led Maria to a small bench and he started to tell the tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

_Back on the roof…._

Ren was now sitting on the roof watching Kyoko pace back and forth.

"I'm sure she is fine," Ren said for the tenth time. "She probably ran back inside and went straight to Takarada's office. She knows this place like the back of her hand. It's her second home."

"Then why hasn't Yashiro-san found her? Why hasn't anyone come and opened the door for us? It doesn't make any sense." She was sweating in the heat even though the sun has already gone down. She unzipped her pink overalls letting herself breathe a bit.

"I'm not really sure. Perhaps in the panic of everything, he touched and broke his phone and now he won't answer. I did tell him to find Maria first," he told her.

Kyoko stopped and seemed deep in thought. She turned to Ren who watched her with a small smile on his lips and asked, "I hope this isn't rude of me, but what is with that? How do you break a phone by touching it?"

Ren laughed. "I've been trying to figure that out for years."

She smiled, walked over to him and kneeled beside him. "I mean, that's so odd, he touches it and then *ftzz* *poof*!" She made the little sounds and animations with her hands making Ren chuckle.

"10 seconds," he said and she looked at him waiting for more.

"What is ten seconds?" She asked.

"He told me how long it takes. He took my phone and told me, "If I handle a phone for ten seconds with my bare heads, it'll definitely break. It's truly a headache.'" He did a perfect imitation of his manager and then smiled like him.

"Just ten seconds, Ren." Ren finished his act and then returned to himself continuing, "I didn't understand why he repeated it but then he put my phone in his bare hand and I freaked. I felt like I was trying to talk a guy from jumping off a building to save my phone."

Kyoko laughed. She knew how important his phone was, that he looked up things on it and such. He probably had a lot stored on it and then it was all gone.

"What did he want from you?"

"Ah, um…" He really didn't want to break the good atmosphere they were having by bringing up her past. So did he lie or did he say the truth and hope for the best? He smirked a little as he told her, "he wanted to know the story behind Fuwa and you." He watched her smile disappear and so did his.

"I was trying to tell him that I couldn't say such a story. That he had to ask you about it. Since I didn't speak, he broke my phone. It wasn't until you told him that he found out." He wasn't looking at her. He didn't want to see the hate in her eyes, to see the obvious facial expression she had when she thought about _him_.

He jumped lightly when he felt her warm hand on his. He turned wide shocked eyes to her and she was smiling.

"Thank you, Ren-san, for keeping my secret." She squeezed his hand lightly and then pulled away. He was tempted to try and keep it there, his fingers lifting and almost catching hers but he stopped himself.

"I know the story will come out if I debut successfully, but I hope to keep it behind me until I have to face it from the press." She laughed sadly. "I actually hope it will never come to surface. I don't want to be pitied." She was looking away and Ren couldn't stand it.

He lifted his hand and very lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She turned and faced him slightly surprised. "The only one they are going to pity will be him for losing you," Ren said softly.

She blushed hotly. She turned her face away shyly but didn't force his hand down. He curled his fingers over her cheek, his finger tips lightly sliding back over her ear and into her hair. She looked utterly enticing with the soft light illuminated her soft features. She felt so warm and soft... inviting.

Kyoko was trying to think past her beating heart. One moment they were laughing and talking and next his face was so close, his hand was so warm and comforting. She felt herself leaning towards him. Her eyes seemed to close on their own and she felt his breath kiss her skin first and then the door hit her feet.

"Ren? Kyoko-chan? Are you guys here?" Yashiro called out not seeing anyone.

"We are behind the door, Yashiro-san," Ren called out pulling away first and even in the hot night, Kyoko felt cold. She blinked trying to regain reality as he stood up and brushed off his backside of dirt.

"What took you so long?" He asked and then turned to Kyoko who was still sitting. He offered her a hand up and a normal smile. She smiled softly and took it then let go.

"Sorry, I spent the whole time searching for Maria, and Maria was searching for her grandfather who is currently out entertaining some guests." He gestured to the little scared girl behind him.

"I'm so sorry! I saw the door open but no one there so I ran through and I wanted to go home." She was clinging onto Yashiro's pant leg. Yashiro and she talked it out and both agreed it would be smart to continue the lie she first started. Still if she did it again, she would be forced to do some very unpleasant things as punishment. Maria was now quite frightened of the man with the glasses. There was this whole other side of him that made her appreciate and yet fear him just a little.

Kyoko stepped inside and then opened her arms to Maria. She ran into her arms and Kyoko hugged her fiercely. "What were you doing out here?"

"I…I don't remember anymore. I was curious about something and then the door locked behind me and I got scared. I won't ever come up here again. I promise." She panicked a little and played dumb. Thankfully, Kyoko seemed to have bought it.

She ran over to Ren who hugged and picked her up and Ren drove them all home. Maria was the first to be dropped off and Yashiro assured her that Kyoko would be dropped off last. That was the norm. Still, Maria felt like nothing happened, after all that troublesome work and nothing.

She decides enough was enough. Maria walked into the back of her closet and started to pull away the mountain of stuffed animals she has gotten over the years. After five minutes or so she pulled out a large leather bound book.

_The Complete Book of Spells, Curses and Charms_


	7. Set Up

Chapter 7

Maria wasn't able to get a lot of reading done that night, since she fell asleep after finding the right section and reading the table of contents. The next day however the book was right where she left it and on the page she left off on so she started reading right away.

There were dozens of different spells, charms and hexes for love. There were some for love and against love. To banish a lover, you would create a hex doll and then light a fire outside. You had to burn vervain leaves along with the little doll and recite a spell. Once the doll was turned into ash the spell was complete.

There was one to make you more desirable. Though she didn't quite understand what that meant, it took a pink candle and virgin olive oil. You rub the oil all over the candle then you carve what you want on it. "I wish for so and so to find me desirable." Then once the candle burns out the spell was complete.

Maria frowned. There were so many love spells but trying to find one where you were trying to bring two people together, one of them not being yourself, was difficult. They were all to help bring a person to the caster or to drive a person away from the caster.

Two hours had passed and she was getting hungry. She hasn't gotten through them all because she had to stop and look up a lot of meanings. She left to get something to eat and was stopped by the keeper of the house.

"Maria-sama, are you not going to LME today?" She asked politely. She was an older woman who had been with the house since her father was a kid. She was very kind but strictly business.

"No, I am going to stay home today," she replied.

"Very well, I will call your tutor and have her come here instead."

Maria frowned. "Can I skip that today, please?"

"Are you ill?" The keeper asked and bent down to feel Maria's face. She tried to think of hot things but it didn't work.

"You are fine and you will not be skipping your studies. A young lady needs to be properly educated and properly dressed especially at this hour." She gestured to her sleeping wear, and Maria nodded.

It was one in the afternoon by the time she was able to continue her research. She had breakfast, had to take her lessons and then lunch. Finally she went to her room and pulled the book to her desk. She skipped anything that had negative words in it; banish, end, bad, jealousy – she had to look that one up - break and away.

She also had to skip anything that required them to do something. She figured if she said the spell with their names then she can do two spells and get them together. But if the spell required them to drink from the same glass or take a bath in a special oil or salt then Maria would have a hard time getting them to do it.

Finally around 4 in the afternoon, she found a perfect spell. It was actually perfect. Perfect Mates spell. There was a list of things she would need and then there had to be a new moon out for it to work. It also said she had to keep the final product until they…

"Con…so…mated." What did consummate mean? Maria groaned tired of looking up so many words. She thought it looked like communicated. She smiled, so as soon as they said their love for each other it would last forever. See, the spell was perfect.

She looked up when the new moon would be and found that there would be one in four days. She looked at the calendar and found that was Friday night. Maria bit her lip. She would have to make sure they were together that night. Just to make sure that if anything happened nothing would be in their way.

She wrote down everything she needed and the date. First is to set up the date and who best to help with this plan, her new partner in crime.

"Hello, Yashiro speaking."

"Yuki-san, I have a new idea!" Maria was really excited about this.

"One moment," he whispered and she waited impatiently.

"Maria, you aren't going to lie and trick them again are you?" He asked threatening and Maria shook her head roughly.

"No, no. I'm going to cast a spell but I need your help."

Yashiro had to step away from the crowded stage to take the call. He smiled to the phone. She was exactly like Kyoko-chan. He didn't believe in their fairy tales and voodoo, but this was what she was into and he really didn't want to break the little girl's heart.

"Well, let me hear what you want to do and then I'll see if I will help," he said suspiciously.

She relayed her spell and he almost busted out laughing. _If that worked, Ren would surely be pleased. _"I need you to get them to be alone together in a better way than what I did. I can do the rest."

"That's it?" Yashiro asked, and she replied with a yes. He thought about it. What was the harm? He would be able to please Maria by helping her with her "spell" and when it doesn't work well they would have spent some quality time together anyway.

"When are you going to do it?"

"This Friday night, I have to do it on the new moon and it has to be dark." She told him and he took out his planner. Ren had something booked till nine that night, but nothing until 9 AM the next day. That gave him plenty of time to stay up late with the girl of his dreams and still be fine for work. Kyoko only had two shoots this week that he knew about but one little phone call can guarantee her attendance.

"I'll have Kyoko-chan cook Ren dinner that night. It shouldn't be a problem but I'll call you back as soon as I get her to agree." They hung up and he called Kyoko.

She answered right away.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Kyoko-chan. This is Yashiro."

"Hello! What can I do for you Yashiro-san?" She sounded cheery.

"I was actually hoping you could do a little favor for me." He tried to keep the smile out of his voice.

"I don't see why not. What is it?"

"I won't be able to accompany Ren on the last part of the day this Friday and I'm worried about him skipping dinner," he lied. He was such a hypocrite telling Maria how wrong lying was and them him doing it constantly.

"Do you want me to be his manager for that part of the day?" Kyoko sounded worried but eager as well.

"No, no, he will be fine. I am leaving at one in the afternoon but the shoot will last till nine. I can make sure he eats lunch, it's only dinner I'm worried about and while I could cook him something. I know he will eat what you make."

"I think you underestimate yourself, Yashiro-san. Plus, I believe Ren-san is too kind a person to not eat what you make," she stated with what Yashiro knew was a fact, but that would defeat the point of all this.

He sighed dramatically. "I don't doubt that, the question is when he will eat it. What if he eats it the next day for his one meal instead of his dinner? That's why a simple bento won't do. You have to make sure he eats. Could you do that for me?"

"Sure, I can make a bento and then eat with him at his break. When and where…"

"No," he snapped and then coughed. "I'm sorry. You can't. They won't allow guests onto the set. The movie is very hush hush. Please understand."

"It's okay. I'll just surprise him at his place again. That way he can't say no. Leave it to me! I will make sure he gets his proper nutrition," Kyoko said with a go-get'm attitude making Yashiro smile like the Cheshire cat.

"Thank you, you are a live safer." They said their good byes and he called back Maria.

"You're set," he simply said.

"THANK YOU, YUKI-SAN!" She cheered excitedly over the phone and then hung up to get everything ready.


	8. Mission: Kyoko

Chapter 8

The next few days were spent gathering everything. She wasn't really worried about most of the items but two, well four since she had to get one from each of them. Those two items were a strand of hair and their personal cologne and perfume.

Day one of collection was spent trying to figure out where each of them were this week. She got them both in the same room for that night but the rest of the week was difficult. Kyoko was once again the easiest to gather. That day she convinced her to take her home.

"I would like to go to your house, onee-sama," Maria said it, not asked as if it wasn't an issue at all.

"Um, I live at a ramen shop, Maria. It's very busy and loud. It's not really any fun." Kyoko tried to dissuade her but of course Maria was stubborn.

"That sounds yummy. Do you get to eat there too?"

"Well yes, sometimes I help out too. The Taisho is very good," Kyoko said proudly.

"Then we can eat there too. It's perfect. I would like to see where you live."

Kyoko pressed her lips together worried. "But I don't really have a TV or something for us to do."

"That's okay. We can talk or we can play with the dolls and make new clothes for them. Plus, you can braid my hair like before. That was really pretty."

"So like a sleep over?" Kyoko asked timidly.

"Yeah! Hey, maybe Moko-san can come too?" Maria said and watched as Kyoko just about shot about the room like a firecracker. She was practically buzzing with the potential. They both went in search for the raven haired LoveMe girl and found her grumbling angrily over paper work.

"Maybe we could do this another time. She is always upset when accounting asks her for help," Kyoko whispered down to Maria.

"Why?"

"Well she is very good at managing money so they ask her often but then she gets upset at how much the President spends on his costumes and his every day activities. She always says that he could do so much more with the money he spends on "silly" things." Kyoko explained but had to censor what Kanae really said since this was her grandfather they were talking about. It seems that Maria understood perfectly but she needed to get into her room as soon as possible. She ignored Kyoko's warning and poked Kanae on the side making her jump 15 yards in the air.

"GAH!" The paper work she was working on fluttered around the desk and the pencil she was using snapped in half in her hand. "WHAT," she growled turning to glare at the two girls who interrupted her.

"Hi, Moko-san," Kyoko said timidly.

"Moko-san, we want a slumber party at onee-sama's. You come too." It sounded more like an order than a request. Kanae rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm busy." She grabbed a new pencil, trashing the old one and started up again.

"But we didn't even tell you when," Maria countered. Kanae looked up at Kyoko and then back at Maria.

"Okay, When?"

"Tonight," Maria answered and Kyoko gasped. She didn't think it was going to be so soon. She figured this weekend or something.

"I'm busy," Kanae replied again.

"Okay, Tomorrow night." Maria was stubborn.

"I'm busy."

Maria glared at the woman working. She wasn't going to ruin her plan. She pulled on the sleeve of her LoveMe coveralls and yanked her down. She cupped her mouth to her ear.

"I'll get you a week off of all LoveMe duties if you come tonight and get you a 100 point stamp," Maria whispered into her ear.

Kanae straightened up and looked at her suspiciously. "Three of each," she countered.

"Two!" Maria countered.

"Starting now!"

Maria shook her head. "Starting tomorrow once you complete your side of it." She crossed her arms.

"How do I know you will do your end?" Kanae asked. Kyoko had no idea what was going on but kept looking at the two girls arguing.

"I'll get it written by my grandfather and show it to you by the end of the day. If I don't get it, then you'll have to finish today's work anyway so it's better to stay and start tomorrow."

Kanae looked at her impressed. She was pretty smart. "Okay, show me the paper and I'll go." She looked up at Kyoko. She was pretty sure that Maria-chan was going to be able to do it so she smiled brightly and turned on the sappiness, "I would love to go to a sleep over, Kyoko!"

"Really?" Kyoko sprouted flowers all around her, and Kanae nodded unrealistically happy.

"MY FIRST SLUMBER PARTY!" Kyoko screamed and scared about half the accountants. She tried to throw herself to hug Kanae but Kanae quickly rolled the chair back and Kyoko fell to the floor.

"SHHHH! Crazy woman. I said I'll go but that is no reason to embarrass me like that." Kyoko started to cry and she sighed, "MO!" She helped her up and smiled softly, "Alright, get out of here. I need to finish this ghastly paperwork."

_That night…_

Kyoko was extremely excited. This was her first sleep over ever. Well minus the times she stayed at the Fuwa ryokan. Those didn't count. Maria did deliver whatever it was she promised Kanae, and Kanae reluctantly agreed to come tonight. It was around 7 that night by the time they came over.

The owners were very happy for Kyoko since she was so excited about tonight. They did say that they had to keep it down after 11pm since they still had to wake up and prepare for the next day.

She didn't think Maria would last that long anyway so it was no problem to promise such a thing. As Kyoko waited for her guest to arrive, she was busy in the kitchen whipping food up for the night. She got ice cream and made several kinds of desserts. But of course they would have to eat first.

They arrived at 7 through the side door.

"Onee-sama!" Maria threw herself into her arms. After Kyoko hugged Maria she tried to hug Kanae but she dodged. So instead Kyoko bowed and smiled brightly. There was nothing anyone could do to ruin this night.

"Moko-san, Maria-chan, these are the Taisho and Okami-san of Daruma-yas." The Taisho bowed his head to the two young girls but the okami-san came rushing forward.

"It's very nice to meet you girls. Kyoko-chan speaks very highly of you Kotonami-chan, and I can see you are as beautiful as she said you are."

Kanae blushed lightly. "Thank you."

She turned to Maria and wanted to squeeze every little bit of her. "You are darling, child, all that golden curly hair and that beautiful dress. You must be Maria-chan."

Maria curtsied. "Takarada Maria. It is a pleezure to meet you, okami-san," she said cutely and the older woman couldn't help but giggle.

"Kyoko-chan said you wanted to eat here. Would you like to eat in our family dinning room or in the restaurant?" She asked. They all agreed that the private dinning room would be best. Kyoko showed them to her room but they didn't get a chance to look around. They dropped off their things and came back down. The Okami-san already set up the table for the three of them and had menus on the table for the two girls.

"I'll get the food for us Okami-san. I don't want you to bother with us and take care of the other customers," Kyoko offered.

"You should spend time with your friends. Don't worry about me or the restaurant. Just have fun." She patted Kyoko's shoulder and then held up her hand when Kyoko tried to speak again.

"No. Now still and I'll be back to take your orders. Order anything you like."

Maria didn't hold back but Kanae and Kyoko did, mindful of not being too greedy. The dinner was filled with laughter and very good food. By the time Kanae finished eating, she shed her shell of arrogance and let herself enjoy the night with her best friend and her "little sister."

They all retired to her room and then the comments started to come forth.

"That is a very messed up picture of Fuwa Sho," Kanae said. The picture had "MUST DIE" written all over it, she drew black eyes, missing teeth and horns on his face and then there were holes all over with and three darts directly in the middle of his forehead.

"You have such a nice big poster of Ren-sama! I remember that photo shoot at the beach. He was really good in that one." Maria saw the poster that was almost as tall as her sitting next to the evil blonde man.

"Aren't you afraid you'll miss and hit Tsuruga-san's picture?" Kanae asked teasingly.

"No. I've always been able to hit the person I want to hit," Kyoko said matter of fact. Maria was reaching up and pulling the darts out.

"I want to see!" she walked up and handed Kyoko the darts. Kyoko took the darts and threw them with a loud thump right back between his eyes.

"Let me try that." Kanae took the darts from the poster and stood where Kyoko stood.

"WAIT! Don't hit Ren-sama!" Maria ran to the poster.

"I won't, geez!" Kanae sighed as Kyoko walked up.

"Here, I'll take it down." They watched her carefully peal off the double sided tape behind the poster. She didn't even use thumb tacks like on Fuwa's poster. She moved to her closet door and lightly hung it there.

"Okay. It's safe, Maria. Go ahead Moko-san."

Kanae shut one eye and then threw the first dart. *THUMP* It landed on his chin instead of where Kyoko hit which was where she was aiming. She lined up the next one and…*THUMP* right on his left shoulder.

Maria laughed and Kanae glared at her for a moment. Maria put her hands over her mouth to keep quiet but her eyes were still sparkling.

*THUMP* She shot off the last, and it landed high above the poster.

"Damn. That's harder than you make it look." Kanae walked over and pulled the darts out. She walked back and handed them back to Kyoko.

"Let's see how good you are." She walked back to the poster and pointed over his right eye. "Hit here," she said and stepped back.

"Um, you don't want to come over here?" Kyoko said a little frightened.

"I trust you. Now go!" Kanae commanded and Kyoko took aim and shot. It sat perfectly inside of Sho's right eye. It was creepy. It was exactly in the center of the pupil.

"Okay, right on his tooth next to the D in this Die." She put her finger to the speck of white next to the marker she drew. The other tooth was blacked out so this would be harder… nope. She hit it dead on.

"Damn!" Kanae pulled the dart back out. "Do it again." There was no way she was going to do that…twice. She looked at Kyoko in awe.

"Wow." She was officially impressed. "If we ever have to play darts for whatever reason, you are on my team," she said as she walked back.

"Oh that would be a lot of fun!" Kyoko agreed.

The night went on and Maria forgot about her goal until Kanae saw her gift.

"You still haven't gone through all that yet?" She took the little box that held the make-up she bought Kyoko.

"Actually I replace it once I run out. I don't want to get rid of the first gift you gave me," Kyoko said shyly, and Kanae felt her face grow hot.

"Mo! It wasn't that special." She put the box down and Maria looked into it. She saw a small sprits bottle and pulled one out.

"This smells nice, onee-sama." Maria had the bottle up to her nose.

"That's my body spray. It's of my favorite perfume. I buy the body spray, because it's cheaper," Kyoko said embarrassed.

Kanae looked at the name and whistled. "That is a nice brand. I think that's a few 1000 yen an ounce. I'm surprised you can even get the body spray."

"Well, I use it like perfume so it lasts longer. One day I hope to buy an actual bottle though," she said wistfully.

Maria put it back right on the top of the box. The first chance she got she was going to take a little bit of it. She really didn't like taking something that she could barely afford, so she told herself that she would look into getting a real bottle of it for Kyoko later.

They started to play with the nail polish that Kyoko had and then Kyoko remembered that she had made them snacks. Maria saw an opportunity, but then Kyoko knocked it down refusing Kanae's help.

Kane stayed and finished painting Maria's tiny nails. The moment Kyoko came in with the sweets, Kanae almost had a heart attack.

"OH NO! TAKE THAT BACK! Do you want me to get FAT?!" Kanae stood up and started taking the food away from Kyoko's hands.

"You won't get fat. You can't get fat. You won't let yourself. It's okay, just for tonight, Moko-san! Please!" She was trying to keep the items while Kanae tried to wrestle it from her hands.

"No! I always eat too much around you." She finally got the food and walked out the door.

"MOKO-SAN!" Kyoko went after her. Maria quickly turned to the make up box on the other side of the table and picked up the small bottle and then she realized she had nothing to put it in.

"UGH! STUPID!" She cursed herself and then ran to her bag. There had to be a little container somewhere in her stuff. She started to look through her bag for anything to hold a little bit of liquid. She had deodorant, her shampoo and conditioner, body wash and her little scrub brush.

She froze and grabbed the little wand. If she remembered correctly, it use to hold bubble bath but was long empty. She flipped it over in her hand trying to remember how to open it. She heard foot steps in the hall and started to panic. She got it open but wasn't able to put anything in it. She quickly returned the bottle of perfume and they entered with no food and Maria with her little wand in hand.

"Oh, Maria-chan, are you ready for a bath?" Kyoko said and looked at the clock. It was a little before 10. She must be getting tired.

"I'll go set it up for you and then Moko-san can go after. Okay?" Maria nodded. Then slightly frowned, that was probably the last time she was going to be alone with that bottle.

"Let me use the restroom before you start. Where is it?" Kanae turned and started to walk out with her. As soon as the door closed, Maria rushed to the bottle and started spraying into the tube until she got a good amount into it then quickly tightened it back up.

Mission: Kyoko's perfume – Complete.

Kanae came back first and told her to gather her things for the bath. Maria was now onto step two of her plan and that was to get a strand of Kyoko's hair. While they did play with Maria and Kanae's long hair, Kanae couldn't do much with Kyoko's without the assistance of hair gel and spray so it stayed as is. Maria was disappointed.

"Onee-sama, would you take a bath with me?" She asked. Truthfully, Maria has never taken a bath with anyone since her mother died and even then it was rare. Kyoko smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Let me get my things." Kyoko left and returned with an extra towel and her bath products. They took a bath and Maria was actually surprised at how pretty she was. She was all smooth skin over lean muscle but had more curves than she let on. They played in the bath and Kyoko had a hard time washing her hair.

"There is soo much!" Kyoko laughed. When it was wet it hit almost to her butt.

"I wanted it longer but Grandfather likes to keep it this length. He says it would take twice as long to comb and fix up if it was longer and it already takes so long." Kyoko nodded as she spoke. Kyoko actually enjoyed having her hair short like this. It was just so much easier, but she did love Maria's long hair.

"All clean." Kyoko beamed at her good work.

"My turn!" Maria cheered and started to move behind Kyoko.

"Oh, are you sure you want to do that?" It didn't really bother her. Random people washed her hair all the time because of work.

"Yes! You did mine; I'll do yours, onee-sama." Maria's eyes gleamed. _CHANCE! _

Kyoko flinched a few times at how rough Maria was but in the end it was rather quick making her once again thank her short hair. Kyoko's hair was the last part of the bath and the last part of Maria's goal for the day.

They returned to the room and let Kanae take her bath. Maria put her things away in her bag and carefully placed Kyoko's strands of hair in a handkerchief. She took more than one just in case, and it was available.

Mission: Kyoko's Hair – Complete


	9. Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble

Chapter 9

_Friday morning…_

Maria failed. After all her efforts in planning and gathering everything, she wasn't able to get the last ingredient for her spell, Ren's cologne.

It was rather easy getting his hair. She was able to visit him in one of his shoots and as soon as they were done styling his hair she took the hair brush. She had a little bit of a scare when it happened though.

Ren stood up from his chair. "I need to go Maria-chan but I'll see you later." He bent low and hugged her. It was odd how much he was seeing of her recently but perhaps she was extremely bored. He really didn't mind, he was able to see Kyoko more with her as well.

As soon as he left, Maria grabbed the brush and completely forgot about the make-up artist who laughed.

"You got a little crush too huh?" The woman smiled at her and Maria froze as she spoke. She had seen her leave but not come back. Maria blushed with the brush frozen in her hand.

"It's okay, sweetie. I understand completely." Maria took two strands of hair and then put it back as the artist spoke, "I had this thing for Kichida Daichi. Ooo boy, that man was gorgeous." She said in a dreamy tone.

The make-up artist picked up the brush and started to clean it up. "I kept everything that was used on him when I did his make-up, cotton balls, foundation wedges, tissues and even his hair." She sighed. "Too bad he's married."

Maria stared at the woman like she was a freak. She never took anything of Ren's. The only Ren thing she has is the Ren doll from Kyoko. Maria blushed. Okay maybe that was the same thing. Still it wasn't trash. It was a half size model of the man made in perfect detail. How could anyone not accept that?

She quickly smiled at the artist and asked, "Does he have his cologne here too?" If acting like a love sick girl got her the ingredients then so be it.

"No, he does smell good doesn't he. He came in already smelling like that, so I guess it's his personal bottle at home. I don't recognize it though. I wonder what it is." It seemed like she was use to talking to herself and Maria wanted to leave. She thanked her and left.

After that, she hasn't been able to get even the tiniest clue as to what his cologne is or where he keeps it other than "at home". She couldn't find a way into his home. In fact, it seemed that he was out of his home more than he was in it. She was thinking about asking Kyoko to do this. She was going to ask her to find out what he wore for her doll; however, she has yet to find Kyoko since the sleepover.

This was where Yashiro found her. She was sitting alone in one of the benches tearing up a piece of paper solemnly.

"What's the matter, Maria-chan?"

She recognized his voice and answered truthfully, "I can't do the spell."

He smiled not really surprised. The spell was only an excuse to get them to spend an evening together but he decided to play along. "But why? It's tonight, isn't it?" He sat down next to her.

"I don't have all the stuff. I got everything from the chocolate to onee-sama's hair and perfume, but I can't get Ren-sama's cologne. Without that, it won't work. I'm going to have to try again next month." She was on the verge of tears and Yashiro wanted to chuckle. To her a month seemed like forever, while to him it was nothing. But her little problem was an easy fix.

"That's simple. Ren keeps his cologne in the glove compartment of his car so he can refresh it when he needs to." He paused with a smile, _when he was about to see Kyoko-chan_. "Why don't we take you home, and I'll distract him long enough for you to get some." He smiled at her as her whole face lit up.

"Really? He does? That's great! Let's go, let's go!" She bounced off of the seat and started tugging on his hand.

"We can't right now. But at one, he is free for a bit and we can do it then. Wait till then okay?" He stood up and patted her head gently. She pouted but nodded. It was only till one, and she could spend her time with her studies and eat then she would have everything.

Well okay she still had to gather the little things but that wouldn't be a problem. Once the time came, Maria and Yashiro came hand in hand towards a curious Ren.

"Maria asked for a ride home. Takarada-san took the driver, and I thought it wouldn't be a problem since we are free. Is that okay?" He asked and of course the taller man nodded.

"Of course, we will be cutting it close but we will pick up something quick to eat along the way." Ren smiled his gentleman's smile and Yashiro winced. He could feel him saying, "_If Kyoko finds out, it's going to be entirely your fault I didn't eat well."_

It didn't matter anyway. He was going to eat a full course meal cooked by his one and only tonight. They walked to his car and they let Maria in first. As soon as the door closed, Yashiro let his brief case fall open with dozens of loose papers flying everywhere.

"GAH! Help!" He started reaching for the papers and lightly tapped on the door. Ren moved down with him and started to gather his things.

"Yashiro-san, you aren't usually this messy. Didn't you just get that suitcase?" He asked.

"Ah well yeah since it's new, I'm not use to the lock yet. This is all of this week's paper work I was going to do tonight. We can't let any of it escape." He worked to be as clumsy as possible pushing paper slightly under the car, letting others slip out of his hands again. He felt like such an idiot.

Meanwhile, Maria jumped from the back seat to the front and opened up the glove compartment. Sure enough, there was a small dark blue bottle of cologne. She practically jumped for joy as she pulled it out. She came prepared today too. She pulled a small empty vial that she gotten for this spell. She got a set of six but she only needed a few. She poured some of the clear fragrant liquid in and then quickly closed it up.

She crawled to the back seat and then slapped her hand on the window a few times. Yashiro sighed in relief, he quickly grabbed the sheets on the floor in microseconds and then stood up as Ren did. He took the useless sheets of paper and slid them back into his briefcase and locked it with no effort.

"Thanks so much. We should go," Yashiro said as he opened the passenger side door and slipped in. Ren shook his head and went with it. Sometimes, his manager was weird.

Once home, Maria raced to her room and pulled out the book and the bookmarked spell. She had to rewrite everything she needed for the spell since she had tore it up at LME. Not that she minded, she was actually bursting at the seams in excitement. She looked through the list and got the easiest one first.

Lace. She ran to her closet and cut off a strip from a dress.

She needed a red candle but she had that already in the closet. Next was money. She ran into her grandfathers room. She knew that he kept a small amount of money in his room on the top shelf of his closet.

As she walked into his bedroom she turned to the right and walked into a second room larger than the first. To say that his closet was full would be an understatement. Maria walked through the first hall then turned left and then another right. Finally she reached his shoes. She started to count. It was on the 5th shoe rack. She looked up and there was a solid brown box. She started to climb, dropping shoes along the way.

Once she reached the top she flipped it open and pulled out the first note she saw. She climbed back down and tried to put everything back. It actually took a little longer than she expected since some shoes looked the exact same as other pairs.

Now she had to find a love letter. She figured that she would be able to find a love letter from her grandfather as well. The problem was that she really didn't know where to find one. So she went to the first place where she thought one would be - his book shelves.

She looked through the titles.

_Just for Jess_

_Diamond Assets_

_An Unwanted Hunger_

_Resisting Tamaki_

_Just Press Play_

_Entwined Hearts_

Maria stopped. That sounds good. She was trying to join two hearts so then this should work. She opened the book to a random page and read.

"_What are you doing?" She asked, her fingers playing with his hair playfully. _

"_Kissing you," he said as his soft lips pressed and teased her skin_

"Perfect!" She said out loud, ripped out the page and put the book back. It was a good thing she didn't continue reading. The smut book probably would have scared her for life. She took the sheet of paper and the money and put it with her other items.

Now for the champagne. This she knew was down stairs in the wine cellar. Grandfather had lots of different champagnes and wines down there that he never allowed her to drink. "It's not for children," she whined to herself. Going to the stairs she pasted one of the maids dancing to a soft song.

It sounded so pretty she stopped and listened,

_I'll make love to you  
Like you want me to  
And I'll hold you tight_

She walked in and the maid stopped in shock.

"Maria-chan!" She quickly turned off the little stereo she carried around. "I didn't see you." Her hand was clutching her chest.

"I'm sorry, Mimi-san. I was just listening to the pretty song."

Mimi blushed. That song wasn't really for children, but then the words were suppose to be romantic. She probably didn't understand what they were implying. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to explain it.

"It is. I enjoy it very much."

"What's it called?" Maria asked.

"Um… it's by Boys II Men. I'll Make Love to You." She tried to hide her embarrassment. She prayed that this won't get her fired.

"Is it about love? Like how someone were to make two people fall in love?" She asked sort of excited.

Mimi didn't really want to tell her the truth so she said yes, "Absolutely! You are such a smart girl." She grinned like an idiot and then let out the air she was holding when the little girl left.

Maria quickly wrote down the song, she could buy it on her computer later. She continued down stairs and met with another challenge. The door to the cellar was locked. She never remembered it to be locked. Every time there was a party, people were going in and out of it all the time. She tried to pull on the lock in vain. She looked to see if there was another way in but to no avail.

She sighed. Maybe there was an open bottle in the fridge. She ran back upstairs and straight into the kitchen. She rose on her tip toes and looked around. She found all the normal things but absolutely nothing that looked like the bottles down stairs. She closed the door and started looking through the cabinets just in case.

Nothing. She was walking out of the kitchen trying to think of any place she could find some of the champagne. A door closed far off to the left, and she remembered that the servants' quarters had a fridge of their own. Maybe they would have some.

Maria was always told that this is where they went to relax and to not bother them inside but since she wasn't there to ask them for anything she didn't think anything wrong of going inside. Still she waited till there was no one there before she stepped in. She looked inside the fridge and found… nothing.

She sighed and then quickly regretted it. She tried to suck it back in so she wouldn't lose her good fortune and started to look through the cabinets. She smiled as she found a bottle. It was almost empty and it looked a little different than the ones she was use to.

"Tee…ki…la," she tried to sound it out but it wasn't in Japanese. Maybe it was English champagne. It was gold color like the others. She decided it was the same and took out another vial and filled it half way up. She put everything back and left.

She took off to her room and gathered all her items. She moved to the back of her closet and started to put everything away while double checking that she had everything.

Champagne – check

Kyoko's hair and perfume – check

Ren's hair and cologne – check

Lace - check

Dark Cho….

She forgot about the chocolate bar. She stood up and went to get it.

Dark Chocolate – check

Red Candle – check

Money – check

The last thing on her list was the song and two pictures, so she put all of her stuffed animals on top of it. She left feeling satisfied and booted her computer up.

_Friday Night…_

Kyoko smiled as she left the grocery store. It was close to nine, and she was heading over to Ren's. She didn't understand the reason she was feeling so good. She was simply in a great mood all day like something good was going to happen. Nothing out of the ordinary did though, and the day was almost over.

Well, she was going to see Ren. She hadn't seen him in a while. In fact it was on the roof that she last saw him. She was so distracted with Maria it didn't feel real. She blushed, not to mention her own mind making things up towards the end. So this was nice. Hopefully, he won't mind her coming over after his long day. She swore to herself after he ate, she would clean up and leave him to rest.

Since Kyoko was yelled at the last time she waited for him down stairs, she would wait upstairs at his door. She thought twice about it. Maybe down the hall a little so it wouldn't seem like she was a stalker.

She was a little bit early, so she set the bags down, sat on the window sill and looked out the window into the city lights. She lived in a city her whole life. Granted in the ryokan it felt like she lived in the country, since it was in the outskirts of town. But that was required for the quiet lodging.

"Kyoko?" A deep voice tore her sight from the city to a much nicer one of Ren. She stood up and bowed.

"Good Evening, Ren-san. I'm here to make you dinner." She smiled brightly.

"Oh. Did Yashiro-san send you again?" He tried to say it as calming as he could. That would explain why he was so quiet in the car. Normally he would be talking up a storm about Kyoko this and Kyoko that.

Kyoko heard this trick before, and he got angry when she told him yes. Still he absolutely hated when she lied. "Yes and No," she said.

He looked at her confused so she continued, "He did ask me to do it, but I also wanted to. I had been trying to figure out a way to come over or ask if I could and Yashiro-san gave me the opportunity." She wasn't looking at him when she spoke. If she did she probably wouldn't have been able to finish her thoughts. She glanced at his face, and he was guarded. Maybe he didn't like her coming over. She pressed her lips together. She was too bold.

"Why did you want to come over?" Ren asked, and she blushed. She didn't have a good excuse, which is why she couldn't ever convince herself to stop by. She didn't need help with a role. She didn't have to return anything to him or have a LoveMe job that required his presence. So she never came over or asked to do so.

"Kyoko?" He asked, and she couldn't look at him while she spoke.

"I just wanted to see you, maybe talk about things," she mumbled getting more embarrassed by the second. "But of course, if you are tired, I will go. It was very rude of me to come unannounced, I thought Yashiro-san would tell you so…" She started walking out to be stopped with an arm in front of her.

"No. Please stay. I would love a good meal," he spoke softly, his voice sending shivers down her skin. She risked a glance up and was face to face with his stunning smile. Kyoko nodded softly, and he escorted her inside.

Maria looked up and down the hall. It was full dark and the perfect time to perform the spell. There was no one around but she could never be sure. She quickly went into her room and locked the door. She rushed to the windows and quickly reached up and turned the little hanging stick to close the blinds. After drawing the curtains, she waited in silence.

Ten minutes past and there was still no sight of her grandfather. He had noticed the mess she left in his closet though she had no idea how. She told him she wanted to play dress up. She didn't think Lory bought her lie, but he didn't ask anymore questions. Maria determined it was safe to do the spell. She went deep into the back of her closet and pulled away all the stuffed toys to retrieve the ingredients of the spell.

She opened the book to the spell and read it again. She had to say the magic words while performing certain actions at each of the lines. She had the words memorized now but wanted to make sure she did everything right.

She set everything up in the order she was to use them. She set the candle on the small heart shape plate and then walked over to her computer and turned on the MP3 she got. A soft beat started to filter though the speakers. It was softer than she remembered, so it was perfect. It said a soft romantic song. She turned it on low, because she didn't want to be disturbed if it was too loud, but she also wanted to be heard.

Maria had to think about the two of them as she performed the spell so she placed the two pictures of them in front of her. She took a deep breath and started.

"Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, I invoke thee on this eve." She took two hairs, one from each of them and twisted them together.

"To guide these two lost souls into a perfect match that is surely meant to be." She tied the entwined hair around the red candle stick and then placed it back on the dish.

"Passion burns as I ignite this flame." She stood up and lit the candle with a match.

"May they never taste an ounce of shame." Maria picked up the bar of dark chocolate and let some of it melt over the candle.

"Close them into a warm embrace." She took a small eye dropper filled with the liquor and lifted it very high into the air. She leaned back and let a single drop burst into the flame. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and quickly moved it far away from the fire.

"And make their hearts begin to race." She took another eye dropper filled with Kyoko's perfume and Ren's cologne and allowed the mixture to mix with the melting wax.

"Don't let their words drown this fire." Maria lit the corner of the ripped love story page and set it next to candle the burn.

"Let them fulfill their every desire." She took the 10,000 yen note and burned that after the page.

"Let this spell guide them to unite." Lastly, she burned the scrap of lace.

"With love to last forever and a night." She knelt down and bowed deeply with the last line.

Maria bounced up with a huge smile on her face. The spell said that the candle had to burn all the way down and extinguish on its own. If anything caused the flame to die too early then the spell wouldn't work. The hairs and the ashes of all the items will merge with the wax and as soon as they say their love for each other it will be permanent.

She took the two eye droppers and the vials she used and put them in her bathroom sink. She cleaned them and let set them out to dry. She walked back, turned off the music and turned on her television. She was going to stay awake until the candle burned all the way down. She found a fun anime and ate the rest of the chocolate bar. She fell asleep half way through, the candle slowly burning out throughout the night.

**A/N: Those are real book titles, and I do Not own them.  
**


	10. Spell Bound

**A/N: Just a reminder... I do Not own Skip Beat!**

**I hope you don't mind but this chapter is not in Maria's point of view. *grin* Na... I don't think you guys will mind at all. *coughLemoncough*  
**

Chapter 10

Kyoko thought it was a little too warm in Ren's apartment. It was never this warm in his place, yet right now it was. Dinner was already cooked and eaten, so the heat from the stove was already gone.

She had taken off the thin button up she wore over the white spaghetti strap, and it still felt like she was sweating. She relished in the cold soapy water that she dunked her hands and arms in while she washed the dishes. Even Ren was feeling it. He took off his button up shirt going down to his black under shirt.

"Are you feeling warm or is it just me?" He finally asked, and she looked at him like he offered her the last drink of water on the planet.

"Yes. It's really hot in here," she bemoaned. Kyoko wasn't facing him, but she pulled her watery hands up and ran it across her forehead and then down her neck. Ren watched the water run down her skin, going from her hand to run down her chest to be stopped by her cotton top.

He swallowed and forced himself to walk around her and to his thermostat. It read 70 degrees. He frowned. That was more than cool enough. Still, Ren adjusted it down to 65 and heard it click on.

"Well, it says its 70 right now but I lowered it. Maybe it's broken. If it doesn't get better I'll call building maintenance for it in the morning." He walked back and continued to help her put things away.

Kyoko didn't understand why she felt hot in 70 degree temperature, but she was. She was extremely hot. Ren's arm appeared next to her and then brushed her bicep lightly as he took a now clean plate. Her skin tingled where he touched her and her eyes followed his movement.

Then her eyes seemed to devour him. She really couldn't help herself. His large lean frame and the muscle that rippled up his arms to his solid thick shoulders. He would stretch that big lean body up, the muscle from his shoulder bulging as he put away another dish. His large hands made everything he touched look so small. She was able to handle the dishes fine single handedly but his hands seem to engulf them.

The little tingle in her arm rushed to the rest of her body as if she could feel those large hands on her. How much would they cover? They could wrap completely around her arm. She could feel his thumb caress her collarbone all the way up her neck to her chin as it rested on her shoulder. She remembered his soft hands on her ankle when they acted. She could feel them running up her legs and holding her hips as he embraced her. A shiver ran down her back as his finger tips lightly ran up her bare back.

Kyoko let her gaze fall down the hardness of his chest to the flat plains of his abs. The black cloth of his tank was tucked into his slacks which emphasized his narrow waist and lean hips. Her arm tingled remembering how hard he felt when she held him so long ago. Ren was sick, and she thought nothing of it then. But now, she could remember that she was able to put her arm around his slim waist without issue. Her hand felt the hard flesh underneath his crisp suit. She was sure the rest of him felt just as nice. She could count the number of times they touched and not the simple hand touches. She turned back to the water and wished she could dive in. She was so hot.

Ren couldn't take his eyes away from her tonight. He didn't understand what had happened, but everything she did was so sensual. She was standing in front of his sink in that little grey skirt and thin white top as if she was asking him to take her. She wasn't standing like she normally did. Kyoko made it seem like she was standing to make every single curve on her body stand out on purpose.

Her hip was lightly cocked towards him making the little ruffle on her skirt hike up her thigh. She rubbed her right leg with her left and he was envious of her getting to touch her soft skin. Every time she breathed, her breast seemed to stretch out the top, and he wanted nothing more but to free them from the restricting cloth. There were small wet spots on her shirt making it seem almost transparent. If he really looked he would know that it wasn't, but at the moment, it was almost as if he could see her skin through those spots.

He enjoyed watching the water the most. The water just seemed to cling onto her flesh as if it were his thoughts. Kyoko would take out the dish and the water ran down her forearm, leaving them wet and soapy. She took the little wash cloth and very slowly ran it over every little spot of the dish.

In reality she did it very quickly; however, to Ren it was like she was teasing him. She was showing him how detailed she would be, how patient and loving she was. How her hands would touch him, soft and slow. Once she was done cleaning, she ran the dish under the water, rinsing the dish and then herself. Then sometimes she would wipe her face with the clean water. She licked her lips and let out a soft sigh as her hands ran down her face to her neck. She would close her eyes as the water cooled her skin.

Kyoko pulled the plug to the sink, and they were finally done. She dried off her arms while Ren put away the last of the cleaned dishes. She put all the cleaning supplies away and then walked out to the living room. Everything was perfect and neat, yet she felt like there was something she had to do, something she forgot.

"Thank you for dinner," Ren's soft voice was right behind her, and she turned to him with a smile.

"You already said that, but you're welcome again." She laughed softly. It was past 11. She should probably go but she felt like she couldn't move even if she wanted to.

He took a step towards her with a little smile. "Well, thank you for the company then."

She blushed but didn't step back. She didn't want to step back but didn't step forward either. "Thank you for accepting and letting me abuse your kitchen again," she jested. She brought her right arm across her, cradling her breast, her hand gripping her left arm.

"You are always welcomed here." Ren was looking softly down at her, her soft silky hair and her bright golden eyes. He very gently touched her left hand with his fingertips, lightly running his fingertips on the back of her hand.

She licked her lips forcing her voice to speak, "That's very kind of you, but I don't want to impose upon you like that." She swallowed and looked down at their hands. She lifted her fingers against his, the back of her hand grazing up his palm until her fingers ran down his and wove them them together.

"I would have you here every day if I could." His words shocked her and made her turned up to look at him.

"Ren, what…" She couldn't complete her thought. She felt him grip her hand, pulling her arm up and he twisted their arms together pulling her into him. She gasped as he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

She didn't move as he pressed his lips against her. Shock, fear and then happiness rushed through her mixing in her belly like thick syrup. She didn't know what to do, so she did nothing. She didn't pull back or move forward, she held his hand and let him kiss her.

He pulled back with a desperate but determined look. "I'm not going to apologize," he said defensively as he let her go and took a step back. He watched her as she stood frozen in place.

He caressed her face, and Kyoko didn't flinch away, so he took that as a good sign. "I've wanted to do that for so long now. I hope you understand that," he tried to explain, hoping to get something from her, but she still didn't do anything, and he leaned in to kiss her again.

"I'm scared," Kyoko whispered just before he kissed her again. He pulled back and her eyes followed his face up and she saw pain in his face.

"Of me?"

She nodded and he grimaced.

"Because I kissed you?"

She shook her head, and he got confused. Why was she scared? Was it because she didn't know his past? It would only frighten her more.

"Is it because Ren isn't my real name?" He asked cautiously.

She shook her head again and whispered, "I don't care what your name is." He felt some of the tightness ease.

"Then why?"

She didn't speak. She moved back and leaned against the arm of the couch. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. "What if it happens again?" Her voice was far and lost as fear threatened her. He frowned and then a soft smile replaced it.

"Kyoko, if you could feel just a drop of what was in my heart for you, you would never ask that question," Ren confessed, hoping that conveyed what was storming inside of him. He didn't move towards her. He couldn't touch her again. If he did, he wouldn't be able to let her go. He felt like everything was teetering on the edge of heaven or hell. Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like days.

She slowly looked at him, and he didn't shy down. Everything about him, about herself told her to do it. It was like all the stars in the sky aligned perfectly tonight and nothing could go wrong. She stood up and rubbed her arms as if she was cold. While everything told her to move forward, her will didn't let her rush.

He didn't move as Kyoko slowly walked up to him. Her arms dropped from hugging herself, and she touched his stomach with her fingertips. She finally looked up at him and lifted herself up to her tippie toes, tilting her head to the right slightly. Ren lifted his arms up beside her hesitant to hold her. He was moving as she did and he didn't even realize it. Her eyes were half closed as she gently pressed her lips upon his.

He groaned and swept her up into his embrace, slighlty lifting her off the floor. She whimpered softly as rapture took over, sealing his lips with hers. Kyoko kissed him back learning along the way. He lightly sucked her lip and she did his. He moved his jaw capturing her lip between his, and she did the same. Her head felt light, her body heavy and electrified in his arms. She slid her hands up, over his chest and around his shoulders.

Kyoko moaned into his mouth as he licked her lip, his hands and arms squeezing her closer to him. She licked his lip and squeaked in surprise as his tongue met with hers. He groaned as he swept inside of her. He ran his hands down her back, and she couldn't help the shudder her body created.

Her heart was pounding and her head clouded. He pulled away, and she gasped never noticing the burning in her lungs. He lifted her up and moved to put her on the back of the couch. He started kissing her neck, her shoulder as his hands ran up and down her back, down her arms and sunk into her hair. She felt herself leaning back, so she clung onto him.

"Kyoko," Ren whispered against her skin.

She barely made a sound of acknowledgement. Her body was riding the physical touch of him on her skin, the high of being kissed, touched and loved.

"Stay with me," he pulled back and whispered to her. His hand was cupping the side of her face as she tried to understand what he was asking. Her lips were parted slightly, and Ren couldn't fight the temptation. He kissed her again preventing her from responding.

For some reason Kyoko couldn't say no. She found that she wanted to stay, to stay with him for hours and days on end. She wasn't thinking of the consequences, of how it will hurt his career, of whether it would last or not. She wasn't even thinking of tomorrow, only the here and now.

When he pulled his lips away from hers, she sighed her answer, "Yes." He ran his lips down her cheek to her ear.

"Forever?" He whispered.

"Yes," She choked out. She was crying. Her body was humming to the beat of her heart, the touch of his hand and her soul was crying to the sound of his words.

"I love you," Kyoko whispered and his kisses stopped, his hands stilled. Fear filled her. Was she not suppose to say that? He pulled back and looked into her water filled eyes.

"I never thought I would hear that from you first." Ren smiled and then picked her up in his arms. Her heart grew heavy as he took her to his bedroom. Still she waited. He crawled onto the bed and laid her down. She sat up and watched him waiting, and she could feel herself choke up.

He pulled off his tank and then moved over her. He tried to kiss her, but she pulled away with her hand on his chest.

"Ren," Kyoko pleaded. She looked up at him with bright watery eyes and he smiled. He kissed her, but she didn't kiss him back. He pulled back with that teasing smile and then leaned in again but stopped short of her lips.

"I love you," he said and kissed her. She let out a relieved sigh, half laughing. He pulled back and said it again, "Kyoko, I love you." He kissed her cheek and then her nose. He said it after each kiss, kissing her forehead and then her eyes. She fell back down onto the bed and he followed her down.

"Bully." She pouted then smiled making him laugh.

"I'm a pretty weak bully if my girlfriend is always bossing me around making me eat and what not," he said and laughed again as she blushed at the word girlfriend.

Kyoko ran her hands down his chest as she spoke, "Someone has to take care of this." He groaned at the feel of her hands on his heated skin.

"Is that so?" He turned dark haunting eyes to her. She shivered as his hand ran down the side of her body and found her thigh. She licked her lips and nodded slowly.

"Does that mean you are going to feed me anytime I'm hungry?" He spoke as he watched his own hand slide down her thigh achingly slow.

"Of course! I… Oh…." She took it in the literal sense until he smiled deviously at her and licked her right breast over the cloth of her top.

"Um… mmm." She couldn't answer. Ren slid his hand up her thigh and pushed at the little skirt. She slid her leg up craving more contact, but all she felt was the rough fabric of his slacks against her inner thigh. But it was enough for his hand to slip her skirt over her hips, and cold air rushed over heated flesh. She groaned as his mouth did equally evil things to her. His tongue teasing her tips through her now wet tank top as her hands found the hot flesh she so wanted to touch. Her fingers glided up his arms, across his shoulders and sank into his thick hair as he fed off of her.

His mouth moved away from her top to the skin showing around it. He licked and nibbled as she squirmed and sighed beneath him. He was leaning on his left arm, his body pressed against her right side. She felt his hand leave her thigh and creep its way under her tank top. Ren was getting tired of her clothes, and Kyoko couldn't agree more. Her heart was racing as his hot hand molded against the soft flesh of her waist.

If the room was cold, she didn't feel it. In fact, it was almost like she could see the steam coming off of her body as he pushed the white cloth up. Her back arched up against him, wanting more. His mouth fed on her skin sucking and licking up and down her collarbone and neck. She felt her whole body was alive with vibrations from every part of him. Her breath hitched as she felt his hand make it's way to her breasts, eagerly awaiting his touch. They felt so heavy, so eager that she wanted to scream for him to hurry up.

Then her world was spinning, and she found herself on top of him. Before she could breath he sat up and pulled the offensive clothing from her torso leaving her bare for a less than a second, since his hands, his mouth covered every inch of her revealed flesh. He slid his arm behind her and she leaned back as his mouth captured her tortured peak. She groaned loudly as he rolled the hard pebble with his tongue and sucked the perk mound. Her arms clung on to him, wanting never to let go, never wanting him to stop what he was doing.

Kyoko was so overwhelmed by her senses she didn't notice him unzip her skirt. She was flying again. She felt like a rag doll yet he always supported her, held her so she never really felt like she was falling uncontrollably. She was simply there one moment and then here, lying directly in the middle of the bed the next.

Ren leaned back and tugged off her skirt and panties at the same time. She lied before him, vulnerable and completely bare in front of a man for the first time. She knew she should be ashamed, knew that he has probably seen bodies that had bigger breast, larger hips, more curves in general but the look in his eyes. The love and admiration he was drowning her in didn't allow for the fear and shame she should be feeling.

It made her want to let him see more. It made her want to bath in his eyes and be devoured by him. Kyoko saw his hands move to his belt. She bit her lip eager for him to shed the last thing between them, the remaining thing between their bodies and hearts. She could saw him pull away and the cloth hit the floor but wasn't able to see him.

He covered up perfectly, never letting her see the last part of him. She tired to move up only to meet his mouth in a heated kiss. Ren was on top of her again and his hands explored her revealed body making her quiver and moan. Her eyes closed and she felt him at her thigh. She went to the heat of his hand as if by magic. Her left leg was drawn to him and slid from between his.

She didn't get to see him but she felt him then. Ren groaned into her mouth as her shin caressed the hard length of him. It was like burning silk over steel, hot and slick to the touch yet oh so delightfully hard. It was all for her. All this, these feelings from him, his desire and tenderness was all from her, for her. And that was the biggest turn on for her, to be wanted and loved.

Kyoko wrapped her leg around his and slid out her other let without his command. She let her leg caress him once again, the soft skin of his sac and the course patch of curls tickled her but made him shiver above her. Oh how she enjoyed feeling that, knowing that small touch was making this large powerful man quiver and whimper from a small thing like her.

He wanted desperately to take her. She was so seductive and held this sexy innocence that he couldn't turn away from. She mewled and panted as he touched her, moaned and whimpered as his mouth fed from her skin. As he slid his hand down between the apex of her thighs, his body screamed at him for slipping his fingers and not his arousal between her wet folds.

She buckled as he touched her. Ren wanted to take this away and be done with it. He only wanted to make her happy. He couldn't believe how wet she was. He hasn't even touched her, and he could feel the dampness in her curls, her scent filled the air around them and it only made him lose himself.

Kyoko whimpered as he slid two fingers inside. He wanted to feel her around him so badly he didn't think, and she clenched around him with her nails bitting into his skin. He slipped them out and played around her lips, caressing and easing her fear and stress. His fingers circled her clit, and he smiled as her hips moved against him. She was so responsive, her heavy breathing making her breast dance before him.

Ren leaned down and took her breast in his mouth. She tasted so good, the salty sweat and the sweetness of her skin. She pushed against him and he pushed inside of her again. She moaned ready for the intrusion this time. She brought her knees up beside him, and he could feel her relax around him.

He pumped his fingers inside of her shallowly and his thumb circled around her clit. She gyrated her hips as he slid in deeper. He could feel the tightness and the little sacred barrier. He moved up her body bringing her hips higher and he smiled at her. She was panting, her eyes closed and face flushed. She was beyond all earthly beauty, practically celestial. He closed his eyes and kissed her. She never knew what he was going to do next but she kept up well. She kissed him back and twisted her tongue with his. Ren pulled back after a moment and kissed her while he pushed through.

Kyoko cried out in pain and bit his lip, but he continued to kiss her. He could taste the copper from his lip being shared between them and feel the same liquid cover his hand. Blood for blood, he took her innocence, and she could have everything he could give - blood and flesh, mind and soul.

He slipped his hand out and kept it away. He pulled from her lips and lightly kissed her face as she recovered. He went to his knees and lifted her in his arms. She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously, confused but held on. Her eyes wondered down her body, and she saw the stain on her thighs and on his hand. She buried her face in his neck, and he kissed the top of her head.

They showered together. He never left her side and nothing could really tear him away. She did nothing but relish in the feel of his hands. The hot water beat upon their skin. The shower stale filled with steam. It was like she was on a cloud, and there was an angel washing her. He ran his hands over every little part of her skin. He massaged her body with his strong fingers as she rubbed her body against his.

It felt so good. Her mind was as foggy as the bathroom. Kyoko leaned against his frame and trembled against him as he ran his hands over her stomach. She pressed her shoulders against his chest, arching her back as he rolled her nipples between his fingers. Her arms were held high around his neck giving Ren all that he wanted. Her breath hitched as he cupped her sex, and she could feel him still hard and ready against her back.

His breath was labored as she moaned and sighed from pleasure. He leaned in and drank the water from her skin at her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head to the side and pushed herself up, sliding against his body making him wrap his arm around her waist and hug her closer to him. He ran his other hand up the side of her body, up her arm and linked his fingers with hers behind his neck.

Ren straightened up and pulled her arm up. He spun her around like a dancer only he felt every curve of her body against his as she turned. She faced him, and he returned her hand to the back of his neck. She smiled at him which was returned then stolen as he kissed her. He ran his hands down her back and cupped her bottom. She felt his solid length press into her stomach, and she wanted to see him.

Kyoko pulled away as her hands came off of their high perch and slid down the muscled plains of his chest. She looked down and finally saw him. Her hands wrapped around the swollen flesh and he hissed. It was so hot and such a contradiction, soft yet hard, hot and so cool to touch. She smiled as her fingers slowly glided down his hardness.

She felt such possession of it. She didn't understand why, but it felt like it solely belonged to her. So much in fact that she knew that she could never make a complete replica of him. There will always be a flaw in it, this one spot, this one thing that belonged to only her. She looked up and watched his face. He was dark red and was fighting himself yet there was this look of absolute bliss.

She went down and licked him. Ren groaned loudly and his eyes burst open and down at the woman who was running her tongue very slowly up his shaft while her small hands followed suit. He didn't know if he could handle such sensations. It's been so long, and she felt so good. He touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

Which was what he wanted, he quickly stood her up and plunged his tongue into her mouth. She moaned as his hands ran to the back of her thighs and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs were wrapped around his waist and she felt him hard against her wet folds. She heard the water turn off and the cold air rush against her skin as she fed from his mouth.

Soon a rush of air and then soft sheets clung to her wet her skin. These felt different than before. She looked and they were his bed sheets, he had thrown off the top cover and it laid rumpled to the side. She found her arms empty but her legs still wrapped around him, but not in the same position they were in seconds ago. Her legs wrapped around his head and her head was forced back as he tasted her.

Gone was the memory of pain being replaced by waves and growing warmth as his mouth licked and kissed her. His tongue tasted every curve and fold hidden at her core. She pushed against him as he rubbed his tongue over her nub, her thighs shook at the feeling he was causing and then she buckled as he slipped inside of her.

His tongue twisted inside of her and then his lips sucked her nether ones gently. Kyoko panted and moaned and rocked against him. She felt something explode inside of her and she cried out as her hands clenched into the sheets. Before she could catch her breath she felt his presence above her, and she screamed out as he drove into her.

He moaned loudly with her. It was too much. She was so tight it almost hurt. He pushed in to the hilt and just about came with the effort. She was wet, ready and still so very tight. He leaned to his side supported by his arm but still hovered on top of her. She panted in harsh heavy breaths. She accepted him, and he could feel her pulsate around him. It took everything he had to not move inside of her.

And then what does she do, she moves her hips against him and made him gasp. His hand flew to her hip and held her still. His eyes were closed, and he felt her hand slip over his. He looked down at her hand and his heart hammered. The blood pulsing around his member matched the speed of his heart as he saw them joined as one. He looked up to her face, and she nodded with a smile.

Ren slowly pushed up inside of her and her eyes fluttered closed. He pulled back and rocked in slowly and he could feel the wet stretching of her walls embrace him. He wanted more and went faster, harder. He slid his knee under her leg and his head swam as he found a rhythm.

Her soft cries and mewls mixed with his own pants and short moans, and he looked down at her. Her face was twisted in pleasure, and he could fell himself slipping. It's been too long, and she felt so good. He increased his tempo, and he felt her lifting herself to match. She yelled out and that rush and warmth filled around him and he let go, flooding himself into her.

**A/N: It was so hard writing a lemon with Kyoko not feeling any shame. The spell said no shame, that meant no embarrassment. I think I had her blush once. **


	11. Consummation

Chapter 11

They didn't stop. They grew tired and rested then awoke an hour later and started again. It felt like they couldn't stop as if something would happen if they did. Her cries filled his room and their love drenched the sheets. Yet close to dawn, too exhausted for words they fell asleep.

_8:45 am_

There was a ringing and Kyoko tried to shut off her alarm but her hand met with flesh instead. She blinked and saw her surroundings. She smiled to herself and her face grew red as she felt her body sore and unwilling to move. Still the ringing persisted.

Still half asleep she crawled to the edge of the bed and found it's source, a phone. She picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" Her groggy sleep filled voice filled the line.

"K…Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro half screamed in shock. "Why are you answering Ren's phone?"

"Ren's ph…oh." She said confused and looked at it and sure enough it was the black version of her own. "I'm sorry, Yashiro-san. Here's Ren."

He stood there silent on the phone with huge bright eyes as he heard her faintly speak.

"Ren, wake up. It's Yashiro-san."

Ren groaned and lifted himself up. Yashiro heard rustling and then Ren's voice.

"What's wrong, Yashiro-san?" He voice was thick with sleep.

Yashiro sputtered like an idiot, "What's wrong? Kyoko is sleeping in your bed and you completely forgot about your meeting about the out of town trip next month and KYOKO IS SLEEPING IN YOUR BED ANSWERING YOUR PHONE!"

Ren chuckled, "What makes you say she is in my bed?"

Yashiro stared at his phone like an idiot, "YOU'RE NOT DENYING IT!" It worked! It fucking worked! The stupid little spell Maria cast worked! OMG!

While Yashiro was having a heart attack over the phone, Kyoko was nuzzling against Ren. Her soft breath tickling his ribs and her arm draped over his stomach. "Do you have to go?" She whispered softly and looked up at him with half closed eyes.

He pulled the phone away from his mouth, "Are you asking me to stay?" He teased and she smiled.

"I was just curious. If you have to leave then you should go. Work is very important. Can I stay here for a bit? I don't have anything till two in the afternoon." She yawned and stretched her body from head to toe. The sheet didn't reveal anything but still clung to her slender form in a very nice visual.

Ren took the sheet in his free hand and started to pull it down her body while he spoke, "So do I have to go?" He asked Yashiro who was still spewing nonsense.

"To go? What? With Kyoko, yes of course, especially after what you did to her, you have to be with her! I would disown you as a client and a friend if you just used her and left her. In fact I would have to knock some sense into you some how some way. Why all this time and you finally… but then it was…" Ren wasn't really listening. He was smiling as Kyoko tried to keep the blanket on her body. She laughed playfully and hid under the covers completely.

"Yuuukiiihiiitoooo… Do I have to go to the meeting?" He spoke slowly. He was sliding his hand under the sheet looking for something of hers to grab, an arm or leg. She snuck towards him and kissed his hand and her fingers started to play with his under the sheet.

"Oh. Um. No! No, I plan everything anyway. I'll just do that as usual and you can stay home. In fact, let me look at what you have." He spoke and Ren just heard no. He pulled the phone away from his mouth.

"He said I can stay." He whispered and Kyoko burst out of the sheet completely unaware of her very naked self.

"Really? For the day?" She asked with the sheet pooled around her waist.

"He's looking into it but for now at least." His hand cupped her face and she smiled leaning into his hand. She looked up into his eyes but he wasn't looking at hers. She followed his gaze down to her body and she huffed acting as if she was upset. She took the sheet and covered herself up.

"…and after that is your shoot which we can't reschedule, so Ren you need to be at the studio at 1 today…. Ren?" Yashiro heard laughing and he blushed.

"I'll call you at 12 for a reminder." Yashiro said and again there was no answer. He hung up and sent him a text with the info. He will read it when he can. Yashiro called for a cab and then smiled brightly at his phone.

"IT WORKED!" He yelled out into the sky and squealed in delight.

_At Takarada Mansion…_

Maria woke up on the floor and found the candle completely melted in a red and black lump. She took up the mass and hid it in her closet with the book. She had to keep it safe until she knew they were together. Even then she might decide to keep it just in case.

She was eager to call Kyoko to ask about her day when she realized that she woke up very late and that her tutor was most likely already here. She sighed. It will just have to wait till noon to find out. The book really didn't stay how long it would take to go into effect just that it would be active until they comsamated? Comumated? … talked about their feelings.

After her lessons she had the driver take her to LME. She searched high and low for Kyoko but found that she has yet to arrive. Maria didn't look into what she had scheduled for the day so she was probably at school or at a shoot. She pouted. She didn't have her phone with her so she started to walk upstairs to Lory's office.

"Maria-chan!" She turned and found Yashiro rushing to her with a large smile on his face.

"You did it!" He ran up, dropped his suit case carelessly and lifted her up into the air making her scream and laugh.

"It worked? How did you find out? What happened?" She couldn't believe her ears. Her spell actually worked.

"I'll do better than that. I'll show you. I'm supposed to call him at 12 so he can come to his shoot at 1 but I couldn't help myself this morning." He pulled Maria to a secluded corner and kneeled down with her.

"Here listen."

He put the speaker phone on and dialed not Ren's but Kyoko's number.

"Hello?" Maria heard her voice and was about to speak but Yashiro stopped her.

"Yashiro-san, is this you again? He is getting dressed right now. He will be out the door in five minutes. I promise."

Maria looked at the phone with wide eyes then heard Ren's voice.

"What are you going to do if I don't go?" He teased her and she laughed.

"I think the question is what I won't do if you don't go. You have work and so do I. Yashiro-san is wai…hmmmm." Soft sounds started coming from the phone and Yashiro quickly ended the conversation.

Ren arrived at LME after 20 minutes with a smile that wouldn't leave which was met with another man's smile that faltered into snickers every few seconds. Maria was holding on to Yashiro's hand and watched as Ren walked up with almost a bounce in his step.

"Good afternoon, Yukihito-san." Yashiro held back a laugh. He really looked at Ren. There was a cut on his lower lip and hickeys peeking from his collar. He looked like a very worn out man but wouldn't have traded that night for any other night in his life.

"Have a good night, Ren?" He replied and Ren just smiled and turned to Maria.

"Maria-chan, how are you today?" He bent down and lifted her in his arms without her asking. She was stunned but was engulfed in his good mood.

She giggled, "Are you happy, Ren-sama?"

He turned to her and nodded, "Very much so."

"So then did onee-sama and you con..su..mate your feelings to each other?" She had to sound out the word still not quite use to it.

Both men looked at her with wide stunned eyes then Yashiro busted out laughing till tears ran down his cheeks.

Ren blushed lightly, "I'm sorry, Maria-chan?"

"Consumate, did you tell each other your feelings? Is that why you are so happy?" She repeated and Ren licked his lips nervously while Yashiro tried to contain his fits of laughter.

"I think you are thinking communicate but either way yes, we did." He grinned.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little story. Maria is so cute. **


End file.
